Topsy Turvy
by nanstanine
Summary: True Blood has gone topsy-turvy.  Sookie is a 1,000 yr. old vampire who runs Fangtasia and Eric is a young telepathic bartender at Merlott's.  Bill and Lorena have switched places, too.  OOC Sookie/OOC Eric.  AU, more info in A/N.  rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **

I'm upside down, inside out.

Cannot figure what I'm about.

I'm sometimes up, sometimes down,

sometimes smile and sometimes frown.

Topsy-turvy is what I am.

Seems I'm always in a jam.

From Topsy-Turvy by Edwina Reizer.

Okay, when I try to focus on one of the stories that I'm trying to finish, something always strikes my fancy and off I go in another direction. I was trying to come up with something different. I get tired of all the same stories of Bill bringing Sookie to Fangtasia and meeting Eric. So, this idea came to me. I'm sure that this idea has been used before, but this is my interpretation. So, in this story, essentially Sookie and Eric have traded places. Sookie is a thousand year old vampire who runs Fangtasia with her child, Pam. Eric is a innocent young boy from Bon Temps whose world is about to get turned upside down. Sookie is everything Eric is in True Blood. She's beautiful, seductive and manipulative. Eric is a telepathic bartender at Merlott's. He's younger in this story, around 22. Please, note that both Sookie and Eric are acting out of character from the series. I usually write OC stories and not stories with Sookie. But, this is a very different Sookie. I think that I'm going to like her. Innocent Eric? How can you resist that?

I had a little giggle about leaving Bill in the story as trying to procure Eric (Eric is mine, haha), but alas, it isn't to be. So, Lorena and Bill have switched places as well. Bill is Lorena's maker and Lorena Compton was a young wife who was turned during the Civil War. She would give the traveling soldiers a hot meal and a place in the barn to sleep in, until a vampire (Bill) masquerading as a soldier took advantage of her kindness.

I think everything else is as usual.

The story starts with season 1, but things may not faithfully follow that story line.

Chapter One

One Night at Merlott's

Sam passed his eyes over Eric who was working behind the bar. Eric was old enough to tend bar and the kid was such a good worker that he had been given a promotion. He was certainly tall, thought Sam. With shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes, he was handsome, as well. Now, Sam was comfortable enough with his own sexuality to call another man handsome. Already, his new bartender was drawing some appreciative glances from his female clientele. Those same women would be ripping his clothes to shreds if it weren't for his little peculiarity. He had heard the gossip about the craziness that ran in the Northman family. Hell, he had seen Eric' unusual gift at work, himself. He admitted that the boy made him nervous. He didn't want Eric poking around in his head. There were secrets up there and he preferred that they stay that way, thank you very much. Eric had started working here as a busboy while still a teenager and he was a hard worker who was always ready to lend a hand. He had been recently working as a greeter, but Arlene had an issue with him waiting tables. Already the girls wanted to leave him their tips, she said. So, to keep the peace, Eric had taken over behind the bar. Sam found that it was working very well for him. He could now devote his undivided attention to actually running the restaurant and bar. Plus, he had noticed an increase in liquor sales since Eric had started working at the bar. Evidently, eyeing him up was thirsty work, thought Sam. Sam watched as Jason came into Merlott's and made a bee-line to his younger brother. Jason stepped up on the footrest bar to make himself taller and ruffled Eric's hair.

"Hey, there, little bro," he said. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," replied Eric.

Eric poured a draft beer for his brother and expertly put just the right amount of foam on the top. He passed it to Jason, who critically surveyed the product.

"That is just about perfect," said Jason.

Jason took a thirsty drink and flashed a smile at Eric. He lowered his voice and leaned in closer.

"I, ah, was talking to an old girlfriend and she has a cousin who just moved here," said Jason.

Eric grew nervous because he knew where this conversation was going. He looked over his attractive brother and wondered if they were really related. Jason had been the high school hero. He had been popular with the girls and never stayed too attached to just one. Yet, the girls seemed to line up just for the privilege of having their turn with him. Jason's legend had still been the fodder of gossip at Bon Temps High School. Eric had just tried to get through high school without being noticed. In a small town, it was hard to escape from yourself. His disability was well known to everyone. There were the stares and the jokes. Crazy Eric. God, he was so tired of hearing that. Now, he had to deal with the good intentions of his brother. Jason tried to set him up on dates. They were awkward affairs because he knew what those girls were thinking. They would undress him with their eyes and ponder the size of his attributes. Mostly, they were just curious and were willing to get laid to satisfy that curiosity. The fact that most of them were familiar that way with Jason didn't help matters.

"So, what do you say, little brother? Do you want to go out her cousin?" asked Jason.

"I don't really think so," said Eric.

He began wiping the counter with much more concentration than the job required. Jason wasn't the brightest, but surely he would get the idea that Eric didn't really want to talk about it. Jason lowered his voice even lower.

"Come on, who are you saving it for?" he asked.

"Jason, I don't really want to talk about it," said Eric.

"It ain't normal," replied Jason.

"News flash, big brother," sarcastically said Eric. "I'm not exactly normal."

"That don't mean that you've got to abstain from sex," replied Jason.

Jason studied his brother and asked, "You do like girls, right? I mean, it's okay, I guess, if you like boys."

Eric looked up and flashed Jason an angry look. Jason held up his hands and said, "Just checking. I love you, no matter which way you swing."

"I guess that I'm just waiting for something special," said Eric.

"Don't wait too long," replied Jason with a wink.

Jason sauntered off to join some friends from the road crew. Eric was always so envious of how Jason seemed to blend in and make friends. Oh, well, back to work, he thought. At least, working here at the bar kept him busy in the evenings.

Sam had watched the exchange and was startled when Lafayette appeared at this side.

"That boy is a tall, cool drink of water," Lafayette said.

He eyed Eric's 6'4" lean frame and when Eric turned his back to them to get a bottle behind him, Lafayette said, "Lord have mercy, that is the finest piece of ass in this bar."

"Don't you go scaring him off," warned Sam.

"Unfortunately, I'm not that honey child's type," said Lafayette. "Because if I was, that precious cherry of his would already be popped."

"Lafayette, I didn't really need to hear that."

"Oh, come on, you'd go gay for him in a heartbeat," teased Lafayette. "Admit it."

Sam opened his mouth to give Lafayette a piece of his mind, when a newcomer came into the bar. Both Sam and Lafayette watched her as she stood in the doorway. She had dark, shiny hair and pale skin. She was wearing a pretty-looking dress in a floral pattern. Sensible flats adorned her feet. Sam knew immediately what she was. She certainly didn't look like a regular one, he thought. Sam watched as the vampire scanned the bar. Her eyes fell on Eric and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. She started walking to the bar, drawing the stares of several other patrons.

"Who the hell is that?" asked Lafayette.

"I would guess that she's our new vampire neighbor," replied Sam.

"What? Bon Temps has a fucking vampire living here, now?"

"Some would call it progress," replied Sam.

"Yeah, what do you call it?"

"Dangerous," replied Sam as he watched the vampire take a seat at the bar counter across from Eric.

Eric was wiping the glasses when he heard someone behind him clear their throat. He turned around and saw a beautiful woman staring right at him. She wasn't shy about staring and Eric locked eyes with her. That was when he noticed that he couldn't hear her thoughts. That had never happened before. He stared at her and tried to figure out what was different about her.

"Didn't your mother teach you that it's not polite to stare?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry," said Eric with an embarrassed smile.

"That's okay, when I'm being stared at by someone as cute as you, I can overlook it," said Lorena.

"What can I get you?" asked Eric.

"Do you have any of those Tru Bloods?" she asked.

Eric's eyes widened, as he realized the reason for her difference.

"We just got a few in," he said. "They are all A pos."

"I guess that will have to do," replied Lorena.

Eric moved to get her beverage. He popped it briefly in the microwave and shook it as he brought it over to her. He sat it in front of her and lingered before her. He looked over her and listened. But, only silence greeted his ears. The sound of nothing was a very sweet sound. He heard all the mindless chatter. He heard all the nasty things that even nasty people were too embarrassed to say out loud. Yet, now, he knew how it felt to be a regular person. He found that he liked it and he was loath to move away from her. Lorena lifted her eyes to his and Eric finally moved away. But, her eyes followed him. Sam watched her with growing misgivings. No vampire was going to do her hunting in his place, he thought.

Eric did his job and tried to keep his thoughts from the vampire at the counter. Why was she here? He never thought that he would see a vampire here in Bon Temps of all places. Were all vampires like her? The lure of spending time with someone whose thoughts he couldn't read was a powerful attractant. When she finished the Tru Blood, he moved to her to remove the bottle.

"Would you like another?" he asked.

"One's my limit," replied Lorean.

Eric paused and she asked him, "What's your name?"

"Eric," he said. "Eric Northman."

"My name is Lorena," she replied.

"That sounds like a vampire name."

Lorena studied him and asked, "There is something different about you."

"I'm sure that you are mistaken," replied Eric. "I'm just the bartender here. Did you move here?"

"Yes, I moved into the old Compton home," she said. "I was originally from here."

"You were?" asked Eric. "I never knew that Bon Temps had a vampire in its history."

"Well, in those days, we couldn't return to our families when we were made vampire," said Lorena.

"Oh, that's kind of sad."

"Yes, it was," replied Lorena. "But, times have changed since the Great Revelation."

"Not here," said Eric. "Very little changes in this place."

"Maybe, I'll fit in here," said Lorena.

"Don't count on it," replied Eric. "Not to be rude or anything, but they have a hard time accepting anyone who is different here."

"Well, I'd better get going," said Lorena. "I'll see you around."

"Sure, I'd like that," replied Eric.

Eric watched as Lorena left Merlott's. He was already wondering when he would see her again. He hoped that she would come back and stop the noises.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ** The story is moving further along as things are beginning to happen in Bon Temps. More notes at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 2

Maudette

Jason was with Maudette on her couch. He leaned in and kissed her. Maudette was one of those residents of Bon Temps whose standards weren't especially high, thought Jason. Okay, she might be a little promiscuous. But, who was he to point the finger at anyone? She had been a pretty girl in high school and was, at one time, one of Bon Temps homecoming queens. Yet, her life had seemed to go downhill since high school. Several failed relationships and a dead-end job at the gas station had seemed to sap the life out of her. Jason looked at the photograph of Maudette in her homecoming crown that was still displayed prominently in her living room and thought that she had become a pale reflection of that girl. There was a sadness that surrounded her and he wondered if showing up here tonight had been a good idea. He moved in and slid his hand under her dress. As his fingers trailed up her thigh, they came across two small bumps. Curious, Jason moved aside her clothing to see them. He saw a pair of marks that only could be one thing.

"Are these vampire bites?" he asked.

"No, of course not, they're just mosquito bites," said Maudette, covering them up.

"Have you had sex with a vampire?" asked Jason.

"I have sex with a lot of people," replied Maudette.

Jason sat back with a frown, which caused Maudette to roll her eyes. "Oh, come on, don't get all prudish with me. I went to that vampire bar in Shreveport. Some vampire offered me a lot of money to let him bite me."

"Are you a prostitute?"

"No, but I was broke and a thousand bucks is a thousand bucks," she said.

"How….how was it?"

"Scary, but exciting at the same time," she said. "Do you want to see it?"

"Excuse me?" asked Jason.

"I videotaped it," said Maudette.

When Jason did not protest, Maudette got up and put the tape in the VCR. She sat back down next to him as the video began to play. Jason stared at a scene of Maudette hanging by her arms from a ceiling beam. She was naked and a naked vampire was thrusting into her from behind. He was making loud growling noises. His head was shaved and an elaborate spinal pattern tattoo was on his back. Jason stared in a mixture of fascination and revulsion. For a flash, the vampire's body seemed to contort itself and his back appeared deformed. Then, it was gone and he looked normal. Well, thought Jason, as normal as he could look. Maudette knelt before him on the floor and began to undo his pants. As she began to use her tongue on him, he closed his eyes. But, he couldn't shut out those inhuman noises.

"We could try the same thing," said Maudette.

"I guess," replied Jason.

"You'll enjoy it," said Maudette. "Most men do."

Maudette turned her head a brief moment and saw that the red record light on the video camera was on. The little angel figurine next to the camera seemed to watch in silent disapproval. She turned away and started to give Jason head. Jason gasped as he plunged deep inside her mouth. Maudette knew that she probably should feel guilty about videotaping her sexual partners without their consent. But, she didn't. It's only fair that she got something out of these encounters, she thought. She could view Jason and her having sex whenever she wanted. And on the sometimes long and lonely evenings, a girl had to make due with what she had. Since, the pickings in this town were sparse. Otherwise, Jason wouldn't be here with her tonight.

Lorena

Lorena stood before her fireplace and watched the flames. Vampires weren't supposed to feel the cold, but she felt a chill in this home. Too many unhappy memories and the ghosts of those who were only ashes in their graves seemed to haunt these rooms. She would have never come back here if she had any other choice in the matter. Plus, this house was a derelict wreck. She wasn't going to waste her time and money sprucing it up when she planned on leaving once this assignment was finished. She gave herself a little smile. That boy was certainly more attractive than she had expected. Humans had their uses, of course, she thought. But, he might be worth keeping around awhile, unless, Sophie-Anne sent for him right away. She had made herself indispensable to the Queen as her procurer. Finding that little druggie, Hadley, and cleaning her up so that she was presentable was her greatest achievement. Sophie-Anne was very fond of Hadley. Well, she was very fond of Hadley's blood. Lorena was quite certain that Hadley's cousin would taste even more delicious. Something was going on in that family and, whatever it was, the boy seemed to have a full expression of the trait. If his abilities were greater, it stood to reason that his blood would taste even sweeter. Lorena felt her mouth water. Feeding on him would make up for having to endure the hardships of this backwater little hick town. That and taking his virginity, of course, thought Lorena with an evil little smile. But, not too quickly, she didn't want to spoil the flavor of his blood before she had time to enjoy it.

She probably should have registered with the sheriff. Lorena frowned. Normally, the appearance of a new vampire into a sheriff's area was of no great importance if the vampire was not noteworthy. But, Sheriff Stackhouse knew of her as the Queen's former procurer and she would watch her simply because she was an arrogant bitch. She had too much time on her hands and she filled it by keeping tabs on all the constituents in her area. She would also watch her because they seemed to rub each other the wrong way. Lorena was sure that Sheriff Stackhouse was into illegal activities, but she carefully covered her tracks. Evidently, someone as old as her had learned a thing or too about being discreet. Lorena wanted to complete this assignment before she came under the watchful eye of Sookie Stackhouse.

Lorena turned away from the fire and stared at the closet that had the hidden door to the crawlspace. Ugh, just the thought of sleeping in there made her irritable. That boy had better put out with the blood pretty soon or she just might lose her pleasant disposition.

Are You My Girl?

Eric found the lights still on when he got home from work. Coming inside, he found his grandmother fast asleep in the easy chair in the living room. She had been reading a book and it lay in her slack fingers. Tina was curled up in a ball on her lap. Eric stared at Gran and his face softened. She had stepped in and raised both he and Jason when their parents had been killed in a flash flood. Eric never had things easy, but her constant and unfailing love had been like a healing salve on his wounds. He bent down and lightly kissed her cheek.

"Gran, I'm home," he said.

Adele stirred and sat up straighter. Tina awoke as well and viewed them both with sullen eyes for interrupting her nap. Tina got up and dropped to the floor. With her tail held high, she padded off to find a more appealing place to slumber.

"I must have fallen asleep," murmured Adele. "These old bones get tired so easily."

"You don't have to wait up for me," said Eric.

"I know," replied Adele with a smile. "It's just habit, I guess. But, a part of me likes knowing that you are safe and sound."

Adele got up and pulled the sash of her robe tight. She linked her arm with Eric's and pulled him to the kitchen.

"Why don't I fix you a snack before bed?" she said.

"I'm not helpless, you know," replied Eric.

Adele paused for a moment. "Yes, you've become a fine young man when I wasn't looking," she said.

Eric sat down at the table and Adele began making him some hot cocoa. She pulled out some freshly made pumpkin bread and sliced several slices for him. When everything was ready, she down across from her grandson and watched him eat.

"So, how was work, tonight?" she asked.

"I think that I might like tending bar," replied Eric. "And, this schedule will let me attend the community college during the day."

"Oh, that's wonderful," replied Adele.

"There was a new resident that came into the bar," said Eric.

"Oh, a woman?" asked Adele.

"Sort of," replied Eric.

Like Jason, his grandmother seemed to worry about his single status. At least, she didn't try to set up blind dates, thought Eric.

"Sort of?" asked Adele. "What does that mean?"

"She's a vampire," replied Eric.

"A vampire? My stars, that is amazing," said Adele.

"I thought so, too," replied Eric, nibbling on a piece of pumpkin bread. "She says that she used to live here as a human."

"What is her name?"

"Lorena Compton," said Eric.

"Now, the Comptons were from these parts," replied Adele. "Not any of them left any more."

Adele looked thoughtful and asked, "Do you know how old she is?"

"Why?" asked Eric.

"I was just wondering if she was alive during the war."

Eric knew that she meant the Civil War. "I don't know," he said. "I can ask her if she comes in again."

"I was just wondering if she might be willing to speak to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead. She could be a treasure trove of insights and information," said Adele.

"That might be a little difficult," said Eric with a tiny smile. "I don't think that Thursday afternoons at the library are going to work for her."

Adele gasped and held her hand to her mouth and gave a chuckle. "You are so right. We could always hold a special session at nighttime to accommodate her."

Eric finished his snack and took his plate and cup to the sink to rinse them out. Adele studied his back.

"Is she pretty?"

"Are you trying to set me up with a vampire, now, since finding me someone in this town has become impossible?" asked Eric.

Adele got up and gave him a little hug. "It's not impossible, it's just that you have standards. There isn't anything wrong with that. You can't blame your grandmother for wanting you to be happy."

He returned the hug. "You worry too much."

"Goodnight," said Adele.

Eric watched her leave and then prepared for bed himself. When he came into his room, he found Tina camped out on the foot of his bed. With her paws tucked under her, she reminded him of a feline sphinx. Eric noticed an abundance of moths on his screen window. There weren't any lights on in the room and he wondered a moment why there were so many of them. What had attracted those moths to his room? He crawled into bed and Tina moved and took a position on his chest. She purred loudly and Eric found it very soothing. He tickled her chin and Tina's eyes closed in rapture.

"Are you my girl?" he asked her.

Tina loudly purred her agreement and Eric smiled as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In Over My Head

Eric was behind the bar when Lorena returned the next evening. It seemed to him as she stood in the doorway that everything and everyone else just faded into the background. There was just her and all the chatter quieted down. Then, he blinked and it was gone. His senses were invaded by the unwanted thoughts of those around him. He closed his eyes and willed the silence to come back. He concentrated harder and for a moment he seemed to manage it. He wondered if he had the power to turn off this ability. Maybe, he just needed to practice. He opened his eyes to find Lorena seated before him at the counter.

"Hello, again," he said.

"Hello, yourself," replied Lorena.

"You're starting to make a habit out of this," said Eric. "But, then again, where else would you go in this town?"

"You do have a point," replied Lorena.

Eric smiled and moved off to get her a Tru Blood. He then took care of his other customers and the waitress's orders. He was kept busy since the bar was in full swing, so he was surprised when he turned back to her stool and found her gone. He scanned the crowded bar and found her seated in a booth with Mack and Denise Rattray. Their name and trouble went hand in hand, thought Eric. Since, they moved to this town, they had established themselves as drug dealers and who knew what else. He wondered what the polite and well-mannered vampire could find so appealing in them. He would have warned her to stay away from them if he had noticed them sniffing around her. Unable to staunch his curiosity and his concern, he listened in on Mack and Denise.

'_Can you imagine how much money she's worth?' thought Denise_. _'At five hundred dollars and ounce, that would be eight to ten thousand dollars. Sweet Jesus.'_

'_Sure, we can sell it, but let's keep some for ourselves,' thought Mack. 'They'll be plenty left over.'_

Eric stiffened in shock, but Arlene dropped several pitchers in front of him. She twirled a lock of her artificially dyed red hair and waited impatiently for him to fill them. Eric frowned, but filled all of them to get her away from him. She took the pitchers and mumbled a 'thanks' and headed back to her tables. When Eric looked over to the booth, he saw that Lorena and the Rattrays were gone. Sam came up to the bar and Eric moved to him.

"Sam, that vampire is in trouble," he said.

"Vampires can take care of themselves," replied Sam. "That's what they are good at doing."

"I can't believe that you would be so callous," replied Eric. "So, we should just leave her to fend for herself against the Rattrays?"

"She's not defenseless," replied Sam. "You don't know what vampires are really like."

"No, but I'm starting to become all too familiar with how the people in this town really are," said Eric.

When Sam didn't reply, Eric pushed past him and headed outside. "Shit," said Sam. He couldn't let Jason's little brother take on the Rattrays without some backup. Sam grabbed Arlene who was coming towards the bar and pulled her behind the counter. He took her platter of dishes out of her hands and sat them down.

"Arlene, I need you to tend bar," said Sam.

"What? I don't know how to do that?" replied Arlene.

"Just fake it," said Sam.

He took off without waiting for a reply and Arlene faced the line of customers at the bar. She literally felt herself wilting under their stares.

"I'll take a draft beer," said one.

"Okay, coming right up," replied Arlene.

She got a glass and filled it from the tap. She didn't tip the glass and a huge head of foam resulted. Arlene sat it in front of the man and he stared at it for several moments and then raised his eyes to her.

"That glass is only half full of beer," he complained.

"It looks full to me."

"Yeah, full of foam," he retorted.

"Oh shit," hissed Arlene. She poured another glass like the first and put it in front of him. "Two halves make a whole. Happy?"

"I'd like a fuzzy navel," said someone else.

"Look, you're just getting the basics, alright?" said Arlene. "Faking it only goes so far."

"Oh, really?" snorted another. "Maybe, we should ask Rene how good you are at faking it."

"That's rude. You'd better watch your mouth or you'll get your next drink in your face," replied Arlene.

"Hey, Cher," said Rene.

He turned and faced the counter of customers and stared coldly at them. "That's my lady and I won't stand for anyone disrespecting her."

"Oh, Rene, you're so sweet," said Arlene.

Rene picked up the platter of orders on the counter and said, "Where do these go, Cher?"

"Table five," replied Arlene.

Arlene watched Rene deliver her order. "How did I get so lucky?" she said.

Eric ran through the dark parking lot, looking for the Rattrays and Lorena. He didn't see anything and he was sure that they had moved into the woods that bordered the lot. He stopped and closed his eyes. He listened for their thoughts because he knew that he would never find them with his regular senses.

'_Her blood is like red gold,' thought Denise. 'I can't believe that she just dropped into our laps tonight. I know Mack will want to keep some. But, if he freaks out again, I swear that I'm leaving him.'_

Eric took off in the direction of her thoughts and soon he was able to hear their actual voices.

"It's stupid to drain her here out in the open," hissed Denise.

"There isn't any place in our trailer to hide a dead vampire," replied Mack.

"Anyone could just walk in on us," she said.

"Just do the job. I swear if I don't get some of that V in me, I'm going to lose it. I need a hit because I've got the jitters real bad," replied Mack.

"Jesus Christ, you're a fucking drug addict, Mack," she said.

As Mack nervously paced, Eric quickly moved up to him. When Mack turned around and saw Eric before him, his eyes widened in surprise. Eric slammed his fist into Mack's nose. Caught off guard, Mack fell to the ground. He clutched his bleeding nose in his hands and tried to comprehend what had happened. He then wiped the blood from his nose and drew out a knife from one of his pockets.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life, boy," he said.

He rose quickly to his feet and moved to Eric. They circled each other. Mack smiled and began to slash at him with the knife. But, his smile quickly disappeared as Eric managed to stay out of the way of the knife. Suddenly, Mack realized that the boy's reach was much longer than his due to his bigger physical size. Eric grabbed his hand and they struggled over it. Suddenly, Eric pulled it out of Mack's hands and flung it to the side. It was a casual movement, but the knife flew through the air with deadly speed and sank almost to its hilt into a tree trunk. Mack realized that the boy was quicker, stronger and bigger and that he might not have such an easy time of kicking his ass after all. He decided that he needed that knife as an equalizer and scrambled for it. But, Eric managed to trip him and Mack fell face first into the dirt. Eric reached out and easily pulled the blade from the tree and pointed it at Mack.

"Do you have the balls to use that, kid?" he asked.

"Try me," replied Eric.

Mack stared at him a moment and felt that the kid wasn't going to back down. He was a dirty fighter, but that kid could still land a lucky blow. With his record, a trip to the emergency room would generate too many questions that could result in a little vacation time behind bars. He raised his hands in defeat.

"Okay, you win, kid," he said. "This time. Denise finish up."

"No, you will both leave, right now," said Eric.

Denise reached for the blood bags and Eric said, "Those stay, right where they are."

She stood up and dusted the dirt from her shorts and angrily eyed Eric.

"This ain't over, not by a long shot," she said.

She and Mack backed up and Eric watched them until he was sure that they weren't coming back. He then turned and moved to Lorena. She lay on the ground with a delicate silver chain across her neck and wrists. Eric could see raw and open wounds where the silver chain was burrowing into her flesh. Her eyes were dark with pain and her fangs were out. He knelt down and gently began to pull up the chain. All done, he watched in fascination as her skin miraculous healed itself.

"Cool," he said in wonder.

Lorena sat up and Eric simply stared at her, not understanding the danger that he was in. He didn't realize that she was almost drained and starving for blood. She stared into his trusting blue eyes and felt a moments pause. It had been a long time since a human had been so unguarded around her. He's doesn't know any better, she thought. He's naïve and inexperienced in the ways of vampires. Hell, he was so inexperienced in the ways of everything and for the first time in decades she felt a tiny twinge of guilt. He didn't stand a chance against her, she thought. But, mercy wasn't a word in her vocabulary anymore.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I just need a moment to recover," she replied.

Eric ran his hands over the links of the silver chain. "I didn't know that vampires were susceptible to silver. I thought that myth was just for werewolves," he said. "Not that I believe in werewolves."

"We try to keep our weaknesses a secret," replied Lorena, staring pointedly at him.

Eric seemed to get the message and Lorena pointed to the bags of her blood.

"Do you want the blood?" she asked.

"Ew, no," replied Eric.

"Are you sure? It's quite powerful and valuable," said Lorena.

"Positive," said Eric.

Well, she wasn't going to get that lucky. Having her blood inside him would make him so much easier to manipulate. But, there was more than one way to skin a cat, she thought. She moved in a flash and crouched before Eric. She had frightened him a little and he leaned back until his back pressed into a tree trunk. She reached out and touched a strand of his blonde hair. It felt like silk on her fingers.

"Aren't you afraid to be out here all alone with me?" she asked.

Eric seemed to search her eyes and honestly replied, "Yes, a little."

"Only a little?" said Lorena with a tiny smile. "I must be slipping."

She moved her fingers down across his cheek and felt the roughness of a small amount of stubble. She liked the feel of that since it made her feel like he wasn't such a boy, after all. She stared into his blue eyes that now appeared to be as dark as hers in the shadows. Leaning in, she softly kissed his tender lips. She could taste his sweetness on them and couldn't stop her tongue from darting over them. He kissed her back, but Lorena slowly pulled away.

"I can't stay away from you," she said. "There's something different about you."

She inhaled his intoxicating fragrance that had to be more than just virginal sweetness.

"Something special."

"No one else sees me as special in a good way," replied Eric.

"I don't understand that, because I can clearly see it," she said.

Lorena got to her feet and felt a moment of weakness. She would have to feed, tonight. The hour was growing late and she needed to hunt. She pulled Eric to his feet, but held his hand a moment too long.

"May I see you again?" she asked.

"Are you asking me out?"

"I realize that it usually the other way around, but a modern woman changes with the times," replied Lorena.

"I get off work tomorrow night at 1:30 AM," said Eric.

"Until then," replied Lorena with a smile.

She picked up the blood bags and disappeared in a blur of movement. Eric watched in amazement and noticed that the collie mutt that sometimes came around the bar was by his side. He leaned down and petted the dog's soft coat and it raised its eyes to look at him.

"I think that I'm in way over my head," said Eric. "What do you think?"

The dog barked once as if in agreement.

**A/N: **Eric the sheriff didn't appear in season 1 until the forth episode, so Sookie is still to appear in the future. But, we are moving closer to that point.

If you watch episode one or two, those moths on the window screens are there. Maybe, they are drawn to the light. But, in my story, it isn't the light that is drawing them in since the lights were out in Eric's bedroom. Moths are attracted to light, but it's Eric's inner light or his fairy light that they are enthralled by.

Fairies seemed to have a close association with nature and we see again that Eric has a special way with animals in this story. He talks to them, but of course, he doesn't believe that they can understand him. I wouldn't be so sure of that.

Eric in this story is young and innocent, but he is not weak nor is he stupid. He is what I think his true essence would be if he were a fairy.

Thanks for the kind reviews on this story .


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sookie

"I have several suitable humans for you to inspect," said Pam.

She was wearing her usual Fangtasia uniform of a tight black dress and stiletto heels. Sookie realized that the real Pam preferred to dress in tailored and colorful suits and pretty sweaters and skirts with lots of pink in them. But, her child was always willing to make the sacrifice and promote the image that the human patrons expected to see when they visited their establishment. She was in her usual position behind Sookie's throne. Sookie lifted her eyes and looked to the line of humans standing before the bar. A uniform sea of black greeted her eyes. They looked like they were all clones of each other, she thought, with black hair and black clothes and pasty white skin. Humans just didn't seem to get it. If she wanted to fuck a vampire, then that's what she would do. So, fucking a human who was impersonating a vampire held little appeal for her. She inwardly groaned. She was so unbelievably bored and dissatisfied. Night after night, week after week, month after month and so on and so on, it was all the same. Living forever in this place was rapidly losing it's appeal.

She wanted some excitement. She wanted something different. Something that never seemed to walk through the front door of this place. She was tired of the miserable stream of vampire wannabees that congregated here and desperately sought her attention to somehow validate their pathetic lives. A spark of originality was what she craved. She didn't want a slave. She wanted someone who had the balls to stand up to her. Of course, he wouldn't be her equal, but for the right one she could grant him a little illusion of power. Sookie turned her eyes was from the dismal sight in front of her and examined her new manicure.

"Third one from the left," she said.

"Excellent choice," said Pam. "I'll get him ready for you."

"Don't bother," said Sookie. "I don't want to have sex with him. Just drain some blood from him. I don't want to get my fangs dirty."

"Is something wrong?" asked Pam with concern.

"I'm fine," said Sookie.

Pam watched as her maker got up and went into her office. Maybe, it was her fault for not finding better human specimens. Should she hire a procurer for Sookie? She had noticed a definite lack of enthusiasm on her maker's part for a while now. She had a little piece of information for her that might serve to brighten her disposition. With that in mind, Pam moved to the human. She would probably need to glamour him since it seems as if he was getting very little out of this encounter.

Later on, Sookie sat at her desk and sipped on a blood cocktail. She had added a little orange essence to make the blood more palatable. Humans seemed to be declining in quality, she thought. She was old enough to remember how they used to taste. They were so much fresher back then. Before they had polluted this world and messed with the flavor of their own blood. Sometimes, you came across a rare flower among them. Not that she had lately. She would be sure to hang onto something like that.

She turned her attention to her reports on the goings on of her vampire citizens. She also looked through the human crime blotters to make sure that she was current with what was happening. And, also to make sure that none of the crimes were being committed by vampires. Pam came into the office then, sipping her own blood cocktail. She leaned against her desk.

"Anything interesting?" she asked.

"Same old shit," replied Sookie. "I wonder why I even bother."

Pam smiled and said, "I know something that isn't in those reports."

Sookie raised an eyebrow. "Stop teasing me and spit it out," she said.

"A little bird told me that the Queen's former procurer is back in the area," drawled Pam.

"Is that little bird one of the Queen's blood donors?" asked Sookie.

"I never kiss and tell," replied Pam with a smirk.

Sookie twirled in her chair as she considered this information. "Very interesting, Pam. I knew there was a reason for keeping you around all this time."

"I thought it was my undying devotion, killer good looks and my sharp wit," replied Pam.

"You never lacked for confidence, my child," said Sookie with a smile.

"I got that from you."

"Lorena Compton," mused Sookie. "It's been a while since I heard that name."

"Do I detect a note of sadness?" asked Pam.

"Most assuredly," replied Sookie. "I didn't manage to fuck her up enough the last time."

"It seems as if wishes do come true."

"Do you know where she is hiding out?" asked Sookie.

"My little bird says in Bon Temps," replied Pam.

"Hmmm, now I know that she is up to something," said Sookie. "And, if I have to go through that entire town, I'll find out what she finds so interesting there."

Pam got up and moved to leave the office, but Sookie called after her. "Pam, I want you to treat yourself to something extravagant and expensive on me," she said.

"Just how extravagant and expensive?" asked Pam. "Are we talking the sparkly stuff?"

"You were always a good judge of your own value," said Sookie. "I'll leave that up to you."

Pam smiled and said, "Now, you're talking."

Thwarted Plans

The next night at Merlott's, Eric made a bee-line to Rene and Hoyt when he saw them in the bar. He angrily stood in front of them.

"Is there a reason that neither one of you could be bothered to call me and let me know that Jason had been arrested today, especially when I know for a fact that you two witnessed him being carted off by Bud and Andy," said Eric.

Rene and Hoyt looked at each other sheepishly and Rene replied, "Jason told us not to say anything to you."

"That's just great," hissed Eric. "All of you are fucking brain-dead. Do you know that one of Gran's old biddy neighbors couldn't wait to call her and let her in on the good news? My grandmother almost had a stroke hearing that Jason was arrested for the murder of Maudette Pickens."

"Look, man, we're sorry," said Hoyt.

"Idiots," said Eric as he stalked back to the bar.

Once back behind the bar, Tara approached him and took a seat on one of the stools at the bar.

"Is Jason okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, Bud released him because there was indisputable proof that he didn't kill Maudette," said Eric. "As if someone could believe that in the first place."

"I know that's crazy. Jason couldn't do anything like that," said Tara.

"Still carrying a torch for him?" asked Eric.

"That's none of your business," Tara replied. "And, don't even think about snooping around in my head."

"I don't do that with friends," said Eric.

"Should I go and see Gran?" asked Tara.

"I think that she'd like that," replied Eric. "I kinda have a date tonight."

"Really?"

"Don't act so surprised," said Eric. "I'm not totally repulsive, you know."

"It's not that and you know it," said Tara. "Everyone in this sorry ass town knows that you and Jason are the best looking men here."

Eric looked down and wiped the counter and Tara studied him. "You do know that, don't you?"

"Well, I was pretty sure that I wasn't exactly chopped liver," said Eric, looking back up at her.

"Who's the lucky girl?"

"Um, Lorena," said Eric.

"The vampire Lorena?" demanded Tara. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"She asked me out," said Eric.

"Lots of girls have asked you out," said Tara, staring at him. "And none of them want to sink their fangs into you."

"Don't be so sure about that," said Eric, with a grin.

"She's just being nice to you in order to get what she wants," said Tara. "She's a vampire, remember?"

"Maybe," replied Eric.

"There is something else going on," said Tara. "What is it?"

"I can't hear her thoughts," said Eric.

"Not at all?"

Eric shook his head and Tara said, "Fuck me."

Tara was thoughtful for a moment and said, "But, you do know that mind reading has certain advantages. No one can ever lie to you."

"Except for vampires," replied Eric.

At 1:30 AM, Eric waited out on the parking lot for Lorena to show up. Sam had already closed up Merlott's and turned off the big neon sign. He had passed his eyes over Eric on his way to his trailer. It was dark and silent in the parking lot and Eric turned and looked for his date. As he was looking in one direction, a fist slammed into the side of his head. It was a complete sucker punch and Eric had not been prepared for it. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. A vicious kick from a sharp-toed boot connected with his vulnerable midsection and he grunted in pain and curled up to try to protect himself.

"Remember us?" taunted Mack.

He delivered another devastating kick to Eric's back and caused Eric to groan.

"We told you that it wasn't over," said Denise.

She stepped close and kicked Eric in the side of the head that caused him to see stars. As Eric struggled to stay conscious, Mack dropped on top of him and began to punch him in the face. But, Eric managed to grab Mack and they began to roll over and over. Eric finally landed on top and he began to punch Mack in the face. Denise ran up and grabbed his hair and tried to pull him off Mack. But, Eric roughly pushed her away and she landed on the gravel and skinned her knees. Eric began slamming Mack's head down into the ground as Denise began to rifle through her purse. She pulled out a handgun, but before she had time to use it, the collie mutt came racing out of the trees and bit into her hand. With a scream, she dropped the gun. Eric stopped hitting Mack and moved to try to get possession of the gun. It was then, that a blur moved into vision. Denise was flung back through the air where she landed in a tumble of arms and legs. When Eric turned back to Mack, he saw that Lorena was holding Mack's head in her hands from behind. His eyes widened as he realized that she was going to break his neck.

"Stop!" he cried.

"Everyone just stop and keep still," came a voice.

Eric turned to see Sam. He was holding a gun and it was aimed at Lorena and Mack.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on," said Sam. "But, no one is getting killed on my property."

"This all just a misunderstanding," croaked out Mack.

Lorena let go of him and he moved several feet away from her and stared at her. She evenly stared back at him and that seemed to frighten him even more. Denise moved up to him and held him up.

Sam leveled the gun at them and said, "Get out."

"We're leaving," said Mack.

"No, I mean for both of you to get out of town," said Sam.

"You can't run us out of town," replied Denise.

Sam cocked the gun and said, "I'm not someone that you want to mess with. I'm asking you politely to get the fuck out of town and if I were you I would do it."

"You don't got to tell us twice," said Mack.

He turned and left quickly with Denise. Sam lowered the gun and the dog moved to Eric. Standing by his side, the dog faced Lorena and growled at her. Eric passed a hand over the dog's head and it briefly brushed against his legs. But, it continued to keep a wary eye on Lorena. Sam strode forward and tilted Eric's head to examine the damage inflicted by Mack and Denise.

He frowned and said, "Come on, I'll get you cleaned up. We can't have you going home and scaring your grandmother like this."

"Excuse me?" said Lorena.

"He's in no shape to go off gallivanting with you, tonight," said Sam. "Besides, the last thing that a vampire is going to have is bandaids and Neosporin."

Eric stared for a moment at Lorena, but he didn't say anything. He then let Sam pull him away. The dog seemed to glare at her. Then, it also turned and trotted after Sam and Eric.

Fuck, thought Lorena. That certainly had not gone as planned. She was beginning to wonder if that kid had some kind of guardian angel or something. She had traded a bag of her blood with the Rattrays to ensure that they would decide to even the score with the boy tonight. They had been frightened of her at the beginning, but it was amazing how a simple bag of vampire blood could alleviate their fears. Incompetent white trash rejects, she thought. She had almost had to snap Mack's neck to keep him from blabbing about her. Now, she would either have to glamour them or kill them to keep them quiet, although killing them was looking more appealing by the minute. Damn, that boy was tougher than he looked, she thought. She was starting to feel frustrated and she didn't like feeling that, not one bit.

**A/N: **I had to give a preview of Sookie in this chapter. She's tough and a little wicked and I thoroughly like her. And there is some serious bad blood between her and Lorena. However, I think that a little slice of fairy pie for Sookie is just what the doctor ordered.

I make no secret about Lorena's intentions in this story. I'm no Bill fan in regards to how he appeared in Bon Temps and in my opinion seduced Sookie. However, in my story, things are just not working out for Lorena and part of the problem is that Eric is much harder for her to handle than Sookie was for Bill. Things are not going to be the same as in the series. But, that makes it interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Here it is: Eric and Sookie's first meeting at Fangtasia.

Chapter 4

A Killer Strikes Again

Eric stood and gazed at the old Compton house. It certainly looked unoccupied and abandoned. He couldn't see any improvements going on. Why would anyone want to live there? It was hardly habitable and didn't even have electricity. Maybe, vampires had simpler needs. But, the sight of this house didn't jive with the beautiful Lorena. He had walked to her property from his house. It was an odd coincidence how close they lived to each other with only the Bon Temps cemetery separating them. The sun was out and he stood in the shade of one of the old oaks that had probably been standing here when Lorena had still been a human. He wondered if she slept in a coffin. Do real vampires do that? He frowned as his thoughts wandered to another subject that was not so pleasant. He wondered at the interesting turn of events that had resulted in the Rattray's attack on him as he waited for her after work a few days ago. The resulting bruises were almost completely faded and you had to look closely to see the one still on his face. But, he had always healed quickly and never seemed to be sick. Since he had met Lorena, he had been involved in two confrontations with the sort of people who would just as soon kill you as look at you. As Gran would say, he was running with the wrong crowd.

The silence around her was intriguing and seductive, but he wondered if the price of such a luxury was worth it. He had become a keen observer of human behavior. It was a result of always being on the outside looking in. Vampires were no longer human, but they once were. There had to be some carryover between the two states, thought Eric. His gut instinct was telling him that something was not right with Lorena. She was always well dressed and neat, yet she lived in a wreck of a home. She said that she came here to mainstream, yet she didn't seemed to be interested in mingling with the other inhabitants. Her only interest seemed to be him. The Rattrays were the only other humans that he had witnessed her interacting with. He was a virtual outcast among his own kind. Why would a vampire be so interested in him? The only thing that made sense was that she was interested in those things that had made him different and that troubled him.

Out of the bushes, trotted the collie. Eric smiled as it moved towards him and wagged his tail in a friendly greeting. He pulled out a dog biscuit that he had squirreled away in his pocket. He usually came into contact with the mutt and liked to be prepared.

"Hey, there, Buddy," he said.

He held out the dog biscuit and the dog gently took it from his fingers with good manners. As the dog crunched on it, Eric ran his hands over the dog's coat. He detected a few lumps that indicated that he hadn't been groomed in a long time. The dog was well nourished, but Eric knew that he wasn't the only one who gave him handouts and treats. Eric's hands had not found a collar around the dog's neck. He examined the dog as he sat on his haunches and solemnly eyed him back.

"It isn't right," he said. "You running around loose like this. It's no way for a proper dog to behave."

The dog made a soft, "Woof."

Eric smiled. "Oh, I see that you admit to your questionable behavior."

The dog dipped his head and moved down to all fours on the ground. He rested his head on his forepaws and looked up at Eric with large, brown eyes.

"I guess that it's up to me to make an honest dog out of you," said Eric. "So, what do you say? Do you want to come home with me and stay?"

The dog sat up at attention and wagged his tail. He gave a more vigorous bark.

"I have to warn you that there are rules that you must obey," cautioned Eric.

"Woof."

"Alright, then, let's go home, you and I," said Eric.

Eric ruffled the dog's fur as he and the dog set off back to Gran's house. That was when his cell phone rang. Eric answered it as he was walking.

"Hello?"

"Eric this is Sam. Dawn hasn't shown up for work and I was wondering if you could swing by her place," said Sam. "She probably just overslept."

"Sure, no problem," replied Eric.

He snapped the phone closed and looked down at the dog trotting at his heels.

"Wanna go for a ride?" he asked.

The dog must have known the meaning behind the word ride, because he began to prance around Eric with excitement.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that you have to make nice with Tina," said Eric. "Because I think she'll kick your ass if you don't."

Eric turned off the engine and got out of the truck. It was an old Ford that had seen better days, but it was paid for and it still ran just fine. The dog moved to the driver's side and looked at him through the open window.

"You stay out of trouble," said Eric.

The dog sneezed and shook his head. He sat down at the wheel and watched through the windshield as Eric went to Dawn's front door. Eric knocked on the door and called out her name. She didn't answer and, as Eric knocked harder, the door opened up since it had not been securely closed. That was odd, thought Eric, and for the first moment he felt as if something might be wrong. Eric walked inside and called out. The apartment was ominously silent and Eric made his way through her home. He reached the bedroom and peeked inside. He had hoped to see Dawn peacefully sleeping and oblivious to the time. The sight that greeted his eyes was far different. In a tangle of sheets, Dawn lay sprawled out. She was half naked with only her panties on. Her open and sightless eyes stared into nothing.

"Dawn," gasped Eric as he leaned against the doorframe.

He looked down and sought to remember her as he has always seen her. He had always had a little crush on her, but he hadn't been the only one. Her beauty and vivacious nature seemed to draw your eyes from across the room. Her eyes usually sparkled with mischief and she always had a genuine smile for him. Eric turned back to look at the shell of what remained of her. He slowly walked to the bed and covered her nakedness with a sheet. She deserved some consideration and dignity even in death. He pulled out his phone to call 911 when Jason burst into the room with a bouquet of flowers.

"Fuck, is she dead?" he exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" asked Eric.

"I, ah, came to apologize," replied Jason. "We had a fight last night."

"Are you stupid?" demanded Eric.

"Hey, don't talk to me like that," replied Jason.

"First, Maudette and now Dawn. Do you make a habit of fucking murder victims?"

"I said to watch your tone, little brother," replied Jason.

"Well, if you would keep your dick in your pants for more than five minutes at a time, you might not be in this sort of trouble," said Eric.

"Just because I'm a normal, red- blooded male who liked girls and who didn't take the abstinence only lectures to heart like you have," replied Jason.

As Jason saw the wince on Eric's face that his words caused, he quickly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

Eric opened his phone and Jason asked, "What are you doing?"

"Calling Sheriff Dearborn," replied Eric.

"But, this looks so bad," whined Jason.

"If I don't call, it's going to look a lot worse," said Eric.

Eric dialed the number and spoke into his phone, "This is Eric Northman and I need to report a murder. Dawn Green has been killed. I came by to check up on her and found her in her home."

There was a pause and he added, "Yes, I'll be waiting."

Eric closed his phone and looked over at Jason. "Can you think of anyone that might want to hurt Dawn?"

"No, that's crazy," replied Jason.

Eric sighed and said, "Keep calm and get your story straight. Do not waiver from it or they'll call you a liar."

Eric's blue eyes seemed to glitter and he added, "Or a murderer."

After the interviews and the crime scene photos, Dawn's body was zippered into a black body bag and carted outside by the coroner and his assistant, Neil Jones. Jason had set on the couch and clutched at pillow. He looked to be a total mess, thought Eric. Although, Eric was dismayed to see that Jason was more concerned with his own woes and wasn't as heartbroken about Dawn as he should have been. Eric knew that while Jason may have liked Dawn, she wasn't any more than a casual good time to him. Bud Dearborn walked over to where Jason sat and stared down at him.

"This don't look good Jason," he said.

"I didn't kill her," replied Jason. "You've got to believe me."

"What I believe is that you were the last known person to be with both Maudette and Dawn," said Bud. "You're going to have to come in and answer some more questions."

"Are you arresting me?" asked Jason.

"We're taking you into custody," replied Sheriff Dearborn.

"I can't go to prison, I'm too pretty," said Jason.

From across the room, Andy snorted. "Well, maybe, you should of thought of that before you started going around and killing girls."

"I'm innocent," said Jason. "Both Maudette and Dawn had been with a vampire before me. They went to that vampire bar in Shreveport. Why aren't you checking that out?"

"Vampires don't strangle their victims," replied Andy. "But, you were seen and heard arguing with Dawn. Fuck, she fired off a gun at you. Her neighbor says that she threw you out because you couldn't get it up."

"That neighbor is a nosey busybody," hissed Jason.

"Did she wound your fragile ego? Is that why you killed her?" said Andy. "Did you kill Maudette for the same reason?"

"Hey, there was proof that I didn't kill her."

"Yeah, but that was before another one of your sex partners turned up dead. How do we know that you didn't come back for round two with Maudette," said Andy.

Jason turned to Sheriff Dearborn and pleadingly looked in his eyes, "You know me, Sheriff Dearborn. Do you really think that I would do something like this?"

"I've seen too many unpleasant things on this job, Jason," said Sheriff Dearborn. "I've learned the hard way that I don't really know people as well as I thought."

Andy came over and handcuffed Jason and roughly escorted him out to the patrol car. Sheriff Dearborn stopped in front of Eric before leaving.

"I'm sorry, son, but I have to be honest with you and tell you that Jason is in a lot of trouble," he said.

Eric searched his eyes and Bud turned and left. When Eric walked outside, he saw that a crowd of people were watching from the street. Like vultures, they were drawn to a scene of carnage, he thought. With his defenses down, their thoughts assailed him.

'_That Northman family is crazy. I knew it all along.'_

'_I knew his brother was weird, but it's still a shock to find out about Jason.'_

'_Dawn's neighbor said they were screaming and fighting like a pair of cats in heat.'_

'_I still think it's weird that all this happened after that vampire moved to town. Didn't I hear that Maudette and Dawn were fangbangers?'_

'_I heard that he fucked them after they were dead.'_

And, so on and so on, went all their thoughts. Jason was already convicted in their minds, thought Eric. He walked through the sea of onlookers and they parted like the Red Sea to let him pass. They didn't say anything out loud, but he heard their thoughts loud and clear. Eric climbed into the truck and drove off as the dog put his nose out the window and enjoyed being a dog.

Fate Comes Calling

Eric stood before his mirror in his bedroom and examined his last choice in clothing. He had gone through everything in his closet and had at last come across this cardigan that had been a gift a few Christmases ago from Gran. It was no longer so loose on him, but the snug fit went with the look he was going for. From everything he could see, the people who courted vampires, these so-called fangbangers, dressed in dark gothic clothing. They all looked like trick or treaters to him. He did not want to make himself attractive to a vampire, so what was the opposite of that? He had settled on a nerdy type of look. What sort of self-respecting vampire would find a nerd attractive? So Gran's baby blue cardigan was paired with a light blue plaid shirt. The collar was cinched up tight with a royal blue tie and he wore slim, straight leg blue jeans. He had found an impulse buy of his in the closet and cranberry red converse high top sneakers adorned his feet. Okay, maybe he wasn't as nerdy as a pocket pen organizer nerd, but this would have to do. The baby blue color should at least be a turnoff. He left his hair straight and combed it forward with a bit of a bang. You know you're crazy he told himself as he looked at his reflection. Just what do you think that you're going to accomplish? But, if there was even the chance that he could help Jason, he would go and brave the lion's dens, so to speak. He decided not to include Lorena in this little outing. He wasn't sure if she would help him or try to talk him out of it. He gave himself another quick check and headed downstairs. Gran was sitting in a chair before the television, but she turned and stared at him.

"Oh, I thought that you would never wear that sweater," she said. "Look at you, you're as cute as a bug."

Eric smiled, vampires don't like cute, he was sure of it. He said his goodbyes and gave Gran a little story about being invited to a party. He passed by the collie that was lying in a new dog bed and slipped him another dog biscuit. Then, he climbed in his truck and headed into uncharted territory.

As Eric strode to the entrance of Fangtasia, he saw numerous black-clad, gothic types. He also saw a few others that might be here because they were curious. Even better, he thought, surely he would escape a vampire's interest. He walked up to a blonde female vampire who seemed to stand guard at the door. She was pretty and wore a typical black leather dress that showed off her legs and breasts to their best advantage. Her hair was styled into a sleek ponytail and her makeup was heavy, but skillfully applied. He stopped before her and she examined him for several seconds.

"ID," she said.

Eric passed her his driver's license and she said while examining it, "I can no longer tell human ages. We have to make sure that we don't serve minors in any capacity."

She looked up at his and said, "Bon Temps, huh? Are you escaping from the boredom of small town life for a little excitement?"

"Not exactly," replied Eric. "I would like to speak with the manager here."

Pam raised an eyebrow, "Oh, I'm sure that could be arranged for something as sweet as you."

Okay, that comment and her attitude creeped him out, but there wasn't any turning back now. He took back his license as she passed it to him.

"Come inside, and I'll let Sookie know that you are here for her," she said.

Eric hesitated only a second and followed the vampire inside.

Meanwhile back in Bon Temps, Lorena entered Merlott's to look for Eric. The boy had been noticeably cooler to her since the Rattray incident. She was tired of being here in this town in the middle of nowhere. Her reluctant virgin was starting to get on her nerves. Humans, they needed so much attention these days. She found Tara behind the bar and wondered where Eric was. She had also noticed that her appearance in Merlott's had seemed to generate more whispers than usual. What was going on in this place?

"Is Eric here, tonight?" Lorena asked.

"Why don't you just leave that boy alone?" said Tara with a frown.

"How sweet. Watching out for your friend, are you?" replied Lorena.

"Somebody has," said Tara.

"I don't mean him any harm," replied Lorena.

"Yeah, right," snorted Tara. "Tell that to someone who believes you."

"Eric does," replied Lorena.

"Are you sure about that?" said Tara, with a little smile. "Because Eric got all the brains in that family. He just might be smart enough to see right through you."

Lorena trembled as she controlled a desire to rip Tara's annoying throat out. It was evident that being nice wasn't getting her anywhere. But, she had other tricks up her sleeve. Lorena locked eyes with Tara and began to glamour her.

"Where's Eric?" she asked.

"He's not here because he went to that vampire bar in Shreveport," replied Tara.

Lorena almost lost her concentration. Fuck, that was like the worst possible scenario. That's all she needed was Eric walking right into Sookie's claws. She saw her imminent failure flashing before her eyes. Lorena turned and left in a flash since she needed to be in Fangtasia five minutes ago.

Eric followed the blonde vampire inside and his senses were assailed by the both the noise and the loud invasion of thoughts from the other patrons. Almost everyone else was dressed differently than he was, but he spied some middle-aged people buying tee shirts and other memorabilia at a checks stand. All everyone seemed to be thinking of was sex and sex with vampires at that. It was then that a voice came loud and clear to him.

'_She's so beautiful and powerful. The closer I get, the more beautiful she looks. Just do it. Just go up there and offer yourself to her.'_

Eric turned his head into the direction of the voice and saw an older, bald man who was slowly approaching a vampire that seemed to be sitting on a throne. Eric then looked at the vampire. She was beautiful. With long blonde hair and pale creamy skin. She was petite and delicate, but she exuded a strong confidence that made him curious. She was wearing black leather pants and a top that dipped dangerously low in the front. Her pert breasts seemed to beckon him and he dropped his eyes in embarrassment for a moment and tried to regain his composure. When he looked back up, he saw the man crawling towards her as she stared unemotionally at him. Finally, she snapped her fingers and, in a flash, another vampire with long dark hair and tattoos appeared and threw the man back before his hand actually touched her. The man hit the edge of a table and crashed to the floor. A bloody gash was visible on his forehead and several vampires in the bar turned towards the man with a predatory growl. Eric felt a chill pass through him, but he stayed where he was even though he wanted to turn around and run out the door. A female vampire dressed in black latex, held out her hand to the man.

"I'm Taryn," she said.

The man looked up at her and took her hand and they disappeared into the crowd. Pam looked back at him and smirked.

"You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," she said.

She left him and walked to the female vampire on the throne who turned her eyes on him. Pam leaned in and whispered in her ear. The vampire's dark brown eyes focused on him with an intensity that made him nervous. She lifted a hand and made a slight wave for him to come closer. Last chance to turn around and run, he told himself, and then he stepped forward to her. The vampire gave him an up close head to toe examination.

"Sit," she said, pointing at a chair next to her. When Eric hesitated, she added, "Please."

As Eric sat there, Sookie ran her eyes over him. Hadn't she just complained about wanting something special? And, in walks this dream. That splash of blue in the sea of dark, drab colors had screamed to her that here was something different. She couldn't complain about the boy who was wearing that well fitting baby blue cardigan either. He was tall and she adored the tall ones. He had blonde hair that was just begging for her to run her fingers through it. Exotic, almond shaped eyes stared into hers. She noticed a faint bruise on his face that would be almost invisible to human eyes and she wondered about that. But, it did little to distract from his pretty looks. He looked a little nerdy, but cute nerdy. A little smile lifted her lips as she stared at this breath of fresh air.

"He's from Bon Temps," said Pam.

"Is he, now?" replied Sookie, staring at the boy harder. Did she get so lucky that whatever Lorena was looking for had walked right into her hands? She decided to have a little fun with him.

"So, are you here to offer yourself to me?" she said.

"Excuse me?" said Eric.

"That's usually why humans seek me out," said Sookie with a little smile. "They want to offer up their bodies and blood to me."

"Ah, that isn't why I'm here," said Eric.

"No? Then, that is such a pity, for me," said Sookie, pouting her full lips. She leaned in and moved her hand over his. Up close, she could smell the delightful scent coming off of him. Could he get any more appealing?

"I could change your mind about that," she said.

She felt his hand tremble underneath hers and he pulled it away from her. But, her smile deepened because it wasn't just fear that had caused that tremble.

"I came here to see if you could help me," he said.

"And what exactly do you need my help with?" she asked.

A motion in the bar drew the boy's eyes and Sookie saw them widen. She turned in the direction of his gaze and saw Lorena coming towards them. Ah, could this evening get any better, thought Sookie. Sookie watched as Lorena moved to the edge of her dais.

"I need to speak with him," she said.

"He's talking to me, right now," replied Sookie. She felt a surge of anger since she guessed that Lorena was somehow responsible for the boy's injuries. Something this fine shouldn't be mistreated.

"He's mine," Lorena hissed.

Sookie smiled and said, "I'm supposed to take your word for that. Let's ask the boy if that is true."

Sookie turned to Eric who sat in the chair looking as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here. "This vampire says that you belong to her. That she has the right to feed on you and have her way with you. Is this the truth?"

"Eric, you don't realize what kind of danger you are in," said Lorena. "Please, just come with me, now."

"I don't belong to any one," said Eric.

"The boy has spoken," said Sookie. "Now, I would suggest that you leave since your presence is not wanted."

Sookie watched as Lorena fought to control herself. But, she wasn't stupid enough to attack her. She was ten times Lorena's age and Lorena was only too aware of that fact.

"This isn't over," she hissed, as she turned around and left.

Sookie watched her in satisfaction for a moment. She turned back to the boy, "Now, where were we?"

"I wanted to ask for a favor," he said.

"I'm all ears, Sweetheart," said Sookie.

"How long do you keep your surveillance tapes?" he asked.

This was not what Sookie had been expecting and she frowned. "I keep the main bar ones for a week. The others are recorded over. Why?"

"Because two girls from Bon Temps came here and now they are dead," said Eric.

"Are you insinuating that a vampire is responsible?"

"No, but this bar is the only thing that they had in common," said Eric.

"Why are you here and not the police?" asked Sookie.

"The police believe that my brother is responsible," said Eric. "They are small town cops and don't have any experience with investigating murders."

"And you do?"

"Are you going to help me or not?" asked Eric.

"Why should I?"

"Because, it would be a nice thing to do," said Eric. "And because it would be very bad publicity for your bar, especially if it is a vampire who is killing women."

The boy had the balls to threaten her a little. She loved it. That Lorena bitch was never getting this one back.

Sookie smiled. "I can't argue with your logic."

Suddenly, Eric's head swiveled back to the bar. He had heard something very disturbing.

'_Where is my backup? They were supposed to be here five minutes ago. I'm not arresting all these freaks by myself.'_

Eric saw a man wearing a mesh tee shirt and a dog collar with short hair. He looked towards the entrance as if he were expecting his backup to burst through at any moment. The last thing Eric wanted was to get caught in some sort of police raid. What would Gran think?

"We've got to get of here," he said, urgently.

Sookie stared at him with narrowed eyes, "Why?"

"Because the cops are going to raid this place," blurted out Eric.

He moved to get out of this chair and Sookie pushed him back down. "How do you know this?"

"It's not important," he said. "I don't want to get arrested."

"Relax, we don't do anything illegal here," she said.

It was then that he could hear that bald man thoughts. That guy was really pathetic, thought Eric. What is with this fascination with getting bitten by a vampire? He was pretty sure that feeding on a human in this bar was a crime.

"I….I think that I saw that vampire, Taryn, take that man that you rejected to the bathroom," said Eric. "She might be biting him. Don't you think that's possible?"

Sookie stared at him as if trying to decide how he knew these things. It was then that several cops barged inside. People started to scatter and Sookie grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him with her and Pam as they retreated out the rear of the bar.

"Pam, take shelter with one of your pets," said Sookie.

"And you?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," said Sookie.

Eric watched as the other vampire disappeared in a blur of motion. They could still hear the yelling from the raid and Sookie said, "It won't be safe to go back there for a while and they will start combing the area soon."  
>"My truck is there," said Eric. "How am I supposed to get home?"<p>

The noise of people running down the alley was heard and Sookie grabbed Eric and pulled him in close. Without explaining what she was doing, she lifted them both up into the air. Higher and higher they rose, until they would have been invisible to anyone at ground level. Eric had closed his eyes and his hands gripped her tightly. Sookie found that she liked the sensation of those hands on her.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you," she said.

She slightly altered her position so that she was face to face with him, which meant that she had to slide up his tall body. She wrapped her legs around him and used a hand to caress him. He opened his eyes and she was struck by how beautiful they were. They seemed to change color in the moonlight.

"Can all vampires fly?" he asked.

"No, not all," she said. "Vampire are as different from each other as humans are."

She brushed the back on her hand across his cheek and felt the warmth of this skin. He smelled like everything that was sweet and beautiful all rolled into one thing. His warm body felt wonderful in her hands and she made up her mind that she would become intimately familiar with it. He had dropped as if he were a gift for the heavens right into her lap. You don't argue when fate hands you something like this, she thought. She gently started moving to where she had a car hidden away. She always planned for worst. The boy was rather bulky for her to try to fly him all the way home. And, he probably wouldn't find the trip very pleasant. It would give new meaning to the term white-knuckle flying for him. She gently alighted back on the ground with him and he breathed a sigh of relief when his feet hit the ground. He dropped his hands and took a step back from her, a little too quickly, she thought. She smiled and motioned to the car and as Eric got inside, she said, "I'll have your car returned tomorrow to you."

After a short drive since Bon Temps was only twenty miles or so from Shreveport, Sookie drove Eric to his house.

"Safe and sound, just like I promised," she said.

Eric reached for the door handle and Sookie locked the door. He turned and faced her, nervously.

"Now, I'll return tomorrow evening with the tapes and we will go over them together," she said.

A smile of relief graced Eric's face and he said, "Thanks."

Sookie released the door locks and Eric opened the door and got out. Just as he was closing the door, she said, "You can't trust Lorena."

Eric glanced back at her and said, "I didn't say that I was yours, either."

"I guess that I will just have to devote more time and attention to you in order to get you to change your mind about that," replied Sookie. "But, it's a sacrifice that I'm only too willing to make."

Sookie winked at him and disappeared down the driveway in a spray of dust. Eric watched her taillights until they disappeared in the distance. He walked up the steps to the front door. He would see her again tomorrow and he was surprised when he realized that he was looking forward to it. Of course, that wouldn't have anything to do with those perfectly pert breasts of hers that had looked like they would fit perfectly into the palm of his hand. Naw, it couldn't be that. With a smile, Eric sailed inside.

**A/N: **Okay, I agonized over what Eric would be wearing to Fangtasia. But, I thought that he would make such a cute nerd (adorkable nerd type). Poor baby, he tried to come up with something that would not appeal to vampires. You can understand his logic, but it backfired on him.

I love Eric and his affection with animals. I wonder on the show why no one seems concerned enough about that dog to find out if he has a home or not.

As I said, this version ended with a very different outcome. Is it fate? Looks that way to me, but Eric is one smart cookie.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **We see that Jason is still in the downward spiral in this chapter and take a look at how Eric and Tara became friends. The second meeting between Sookie and Eric rounds out this chapter.

Chapter 5

I

Eric was working the afternoon shift and so he was behind the bar when Jason and some of his work buddies came into Merlott's for late lunch. Lafayette was pulling a double shift that day in the kitchen or he would have been with Jason. Eric watched as Jason, Hoyt and Rene took a seat at one of the open tables. They were wearing the road crew uniform of jeans, work boots and tee shirts. They laughed and joked, but watching from across the room Eric seemed to sense that something was wrong. Jason seemed to laugh a little too loud and it carried across the bar. When Arlene came back to the kitchen with their orders, she stopped at the bar for a pitcher of beer. Eric filled it, but delivered it himself. He walked over to the bar with the beer and glasses and sat them down.

"Hey, there, little brother," said Jason, smiling widely.

"You know that I don't like being called that in public," replied Eric.

"Oops, sorry," said Jason, reaching to pour a beer.

"You can see his point, after all, he's bigger than you, now," said Rene.

"At least, in some ways," snickered Jason.

Eric passed his eyes over Jason and said, "Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure, just spit it out," replied Jason, taking a drink.

"In private," said Eric.

Jason got up and he followed Eric into the back and out of sight of the customers. Once Eric was sure that no one else could see, he turned around and pinned Jason by the throat against the wall. Jason's eyes flew open in surprise.

"Whoa, what the fuck are you doing?" he said.

Eric only held him tighter and stared intently at him. "You're high. I can tell it from across the room."

"High on life, little brother," said Jason. "You should try it sometime."

He made a move to push off Eric's arm and step away, but Eric slammed him back against the wall and Jason's head hit with a thud. Jason now began to get angry.

"Don't lie to me," said Eric. "I want to know what you're using and who sold it to you."

"Mind your own business," said Jason as he flung off Eric's hand.

He made to move away and Eric grabbed his arm. "You only got out of jail because Tara gave you an alibi which I know for a fact is a lie. Have you even thanked her for putting herself on the line for you? You do know that they can arrest her for giving a false statement, don't you? Do you even care?"

"What happens between Tara and me is really none of your business," said Jason.

"That girl has been in love with you since she was eight years old and you are either oblivious or you don't care," said Eric. "I've always thought that you didn't know, but maybe I was wrong."

Jason paused and Eric said, "Right now, you need to stay on the straight and narrow because Andy and Bud are just looking for an excuse to haul you back into jail. I want you to hand over whatever it is that you are using."

"I'm in control of this," said Jason. "It is like nothing else I've every tried. It only makes you stronger. And, I don't need my little brother to be my babysitter."

"Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"

"If you're done insulting me, I'm going to go back to my friends," said Jason. "Now, there is something that you might want to try sometime, friends."

Jason pushed past him and after a few moments, Eric walked back to the bar, since there wasn't anything else he could do. He certainly couldn't tell Gran. As he settled behind the bar, Tara came up. Sam had given her a job filling out on the shifts that Eric wasn't working. Eric smiled and thought that Tara had a somewhat abrupt manner. Well, she could be downright abrasive. But, the customers didn't seem to complain as long as the liquor was flowing. They had both been outcasts in their own way and had found each other in school. Eric remembered that day. School had ended and he was walking home. Up ahead, he saw that some of the school bullies had found a victim and a scuffle was going on. He frightened them too much to draw their attention to himself. Plus, he was big for his age and bullies usually picked weaker prey. Coming closer, he saw a group of three boys who were a couple of grades ahead of both him and Tara. They were tossing Tara's backpack to each other over her head. They were taunting her about how dirty her clothes were. But, then the talk turned ugly and insults about her drunken mother and the color of her skin were thrown out. Tara wasn't one to weep and not fight back, but she was outnumbered. Eric stopped.

"Why don't you leave her alone?" he said.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Eric Northman," said one. "Or, we'll pick on you, next."

"No you won't," said Eric. "You're too scared that I would beat the crap out of you."

The boys stopped tossing the backpack and turned their attention to him. The biggest one smiled and said, "Oh, are we picking on your girlfriend? You're so weird that you probably like your meat dark."

"Give me my bag back," said Tara.

The largest boy threw it hard at her face and it struck her and caused her to fall in the dirt. Eric moved forward and punched him in the nose. The boy was so shocked that it took several seconds before he realized that he was bleeding. Eric grabbed him and caused him to trip over his leg in a skillful move. In a matter of seconds, the bully found himself lying on the ground with Eric standing over him. The other two boys retreated since they were only followers.

"I'm going to tell my Daddy what you did," the boy cried.

"All you daddy does is come home from work and drink in front of the television until he passes out while your mama cries in the kitchen," said Eric.

The boy's face paled and he said, "How do you know that?"

"You told me," said Eric.

The boy scuttled away from him in fear and then got to his feet. "Stay away from me, you little freak," he called out as he turned and ran away with his friends trailing after him.

If Eric had expected a resounding thank you from Tara, he was mistaken. "I don't need your help fighting my fights."

"Okay," he said.

He turned away to head home and she said, "But, I guess, it was nice."

Eric turned back to her and eyed her skinned elbow that had resulted from falling to the ground. "My Gran can patch up your elbow," he said.

Tara had pulled her wounded arm in close and her other hand had trailed over her old and dirty clothes. She looked down in embarrassment and for the first time Eric got a sense of how much she was hurt from being picked on.

"Come on, my Gran always has fresh cookies or something just as good waiting for me," he said.

"My momma will worry if I'm not home."

"I don't think that's true," said Eric. "But, my Gran will call her if you want."

As Eric waited patiently, Tara threw her backpack over her shoulder and moved to him. She gave him a smile and said, "Show me how to do that move that you used. It was really cool."

Eric returned the smile and said, "I watch wrestling, sometimes."

"For real?" asked Tara.

"To learn stuff," replied Eric.

"Yeah, right," said Tara with a smile.

And so, Tara became a frequent guest after school at the Northman house. Gran always gave her a hot meal and she when she realized the state of Tara's home life, she also made sure that Tara had clean clothes to wear. Eric was aware that Gran had also called social services on Tara's mother more than once, but nothing ever seemed to change for more than a week or two at Tara's home. When Tara had seemed afraid to go home, Adele would graciously give her a place to sleep.

As Eric and Tara grew older, their relationship still remained that of just friends. Tara had become like a member of their family and Eric never thought of her as anything but a sister. And Tara had always had a secret crush on Jason. While Eric may have saved her from the schoolyard bullies, nothing could top the feat of Jason saving her from one of her mother's drunken rages.

"Daydreaming on the job, again?" cut in Tara. "Please tell me that it isn't about that vampire."

Eric shook off his memories and said, "I was just remembering old times when we were kids."

"You know that you, Gran and Jason are like my family, right?" she said. "I just worry about you, that's all."

"I'm a big boy, now," said Eric. "You don't have to worry about me anymore."

"That doesn't mean that I'm just going to stop doing it," replied Tara, with a smile.

Eric decided that he probably shouldn't mention that another vampire was coming to see him this evening. He had only told Gran that a friend was coming by to see him because he knew that she would make some sort of fuss if she knew that friend was female and a vampire. He felt a flutter of apprehension about later on. But, it felt like a good flutter and he couldn't deny that he had thought about her all day. He had dreamed of them flying through the air last night. As the world turned below them, she had pulled him close and kissed him. She then let him go and he fell to earth. But, on the way down, he had transformed into a star and he shot across the sky in a blazing arc. But the rush of traveling through the air was not close to the excitement of having Sookie's lips on his. He moved away and restocked the bar to keep Tara from guessing his thoughts.

II

Second Base

Sookie's POV

Adele was bringing out a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies from the oven when she heard a knock on the front door. As she came into the living room, she saw Eric moving down the stairs.

"I'll get it," she said.

Opening the door, she saw a blonde young woman dressed in tight black jeans and a leather jacket. Now, this was not what Adele had been expecting and she studied the woman curiously.

"You must be Adele Northman," she said.

"Why, yes," said Adele. "And you are?"

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse," she said. "I'm here for Eric."

"Oh, of course, please come in," she said.

She gave Adele a smile and came inside. As she stepped through the doorway, she uncovered a bouquet of bright flowers that she had been holding behind her back. She handed them to Adele.

"It's always customary to bring a gift to the lady of the house when paying a visit," she said.

"My stars," said Adele. "Sometimes, good manners are lacking today in our youth. But, someone must have taught you right."

"I had a very old-fashioned upbringing," she replied, with a devilish smile.

"There's nothing wrong with that," said Adele, beaming. "You kids just run along and I'll put these in some water."

She looked over at the boy and he was wearing loose-fitting jeans that sat low on his hips. He wore a plain navy blue tee shirt and those red sneakers were on his feet. No baby blue tonight, she thought. But, that was okay because she would just have to buy him something. Maybe a soft cashmere sweater that she could run her fingers over, now that sounded like a plan. He didn't come all the way down the stairs and she had moved to him.

"I thought we could watch the tapes in my room," he said. He lowered in voice and said, "I don't want Gran to see those tapes of Fangtasia, that might be too shocking for her."

"Whatever you say," she replied.

She climbed the stairs after him and couldn't help but admire his backside. She followed him down a hallway and into his room. The walls were a plain light gray, in contrast to the rest of the house, which seemed to be covered in flowery wallpaper. A double bed was set against a wall in the corner under the eaves of a dormer window. It was covered in a navy blue comforter and Sookie noticed that the bed was neatly made. She wondered if he was a neat-nick or if he had cleaned up his room for her. There was a computer on a desk in another corner and an assortment of books and movies were laid out on shelves against the walls. Curiously, she saw a telescope on a tripod at one of his windows. She couldn't help herself and she walked over and looked through the eyepiece. It was focused on the heavens. Her beautiful virgin was a stargazer, it seems. She was well aware of his purity. In fact, she had never smelled anyone before who smelled as sweet as he did. She turned back to the boy and wondered how anything so lovely could have maintained that state for as long as he had. Were the women in this town blind? Eric closed the door and gazed back at her.

"You certainly charmed Gran," he said. "I don't even think she knows that you're a vampire."

"Surprised?" she asked, with a smile.

"Yes," said Eric.

"I'm on my best behavior for you," she said. "Of course, that can change at any time if you don't want me to be so nice."

She was teasing him and she enjoyed watching him as he struggled to come up with a reply and then just decided to keep silent. She pulled out a couple of dvds from her jacket and handed them to him. She unzipped her jacket and revealed a deep purple, satiny top that was sleeveless. She took off her jacket and handed it to Eric who quickly turned away. He put her jacket across the back of his computer chair and then busied himself getting the television ready which sat on a dresser.

"Do you have pictures of the girls that we are looking for?" she asked.

Eric turned around and paused as he found her reclining on his bed. She had his pillows propping her up and had slipped out of her high-heeled ankle boots. He stared at her delicate feet and thought how small they were. They hardly looked bigger than his hands. He roused himself and turned around to the desk and picked up a couple of photos and the remote control. She patted the bed next to her with a little grin.

"There isn't anywhere else to sit, Sweetie," she said. Her grin widened as she added, "I won't bite, unless you want me to."

Eric stiffly took a seat a good foot away from her and handed the photographs to her. She looked over them.

"Pam has a much better eye for faces than me. She never forgets a pretty face," she said. "I'm afraid that most of you all look alike to me."

She looked over and saw the expression on Eric's face. "What? I'm being honest with you," she said. "Besides, I didn't mean you."

"Why am I different?" Eric asked.

"You stand out. You would be surprised how rare and special that makes you."

She watched as he ducked his head in embarrassment. Was he blushing? His skin was fair, but she could detect the glow that the sun had given to him. If she licked that delicious skin of his, she wondered what it would taste like. She felt as if she could taste the golden sunshine and the scent of flowers in bloom if she did. She held out her hand for the remote. Like most men, he seemed to relinquish it with regret. She scooted closer to him and hit the fast forward button.

"Wait, you're going too fast," he said.

"Not for me, I'm not," she replied. "Vampire eyes, remember?"

She rested against his shoulder and watched the images speed by. After a several minutes, she hit the pause button. There on the screen was an image of Maudette at the bar counter talking to a bald headed vampire with a tattoo on his skull that extended down his spine.

"He matches the description of the vampire that Jason says paid Maudette for sex and to let him bite her," said Eric.

"Did your brother see this vampire?"

"In a way, Maudette liked to record her sex partners," said Eric. "Without their knowledge."

"Kinky, at least, for this town."

"Do you know who he is?" asked Eric.

"I know who all the vampires are in this area," she said. "He is called Liam and he shares a nest with two other vampires who live in Monroe."

"Is he dangerous?" asked Eric.

"All vampires are dangerous, Sweetie. But, these ones are not exactly the poster children for the AVL. Interestingly, they are old friends of Lorena."

"They are?" asked Eric.

"I'm afraid that you don't know very much about her," she said. "She has a tendency to keep her bad side hidden when it suits her purpose."

"Like you are doing?" asked Eric.

"Not me," she said "I'm very upfront about my intentions."

"Which are?" asked Eric.

She slowly trailed just one finger down his arm and Eric's skin broke out in goose pimples. "Do I need to spell it out for you?"

Eric decided to ignore her and asked, "Do you think that this Liam and his other friends be responsible for the killings here?"

"No, as much as they are capable of killing, these murders aren't their style."

"Why are you so sure?" asked Eric.

"Because the victims were strangled, not exsanguinated," she said.

"So, you're saying that a vampire isn't responsible?" asked Eric.

"I'm saying that it is highly unlikely."

Eric was silent for a moment and said, "You knew this all along, but you came here anyway."

"Can you fault me for wanting to see you, again?"

Eric made a motion to get up and she held him back. "I will look into it, I promise. I'm more than just the owner of Fangtasia. I wield a certain amount of power in the vampire world," she said.

She stared into his almond-shaped eyes for a moment. He had secrets hidden in there, she was sure of it. She had not forgotten that he had known about the police raid before it had happened and that he seemed to know what was going on in the bathroom of her bar. He tried to cover it up, but she knew that he was not being honest. It only made him more interesting. She just had to make sure that he stayed out of trouble and that Lorena kept away from him. She would be telling that vampire in no uncertain terms to keep her claws off of him. She touched a tendril of his shaggy blonde hair.

"Tell me, how does someone with Viking lineage wind up here in Bon Temps?" she asked.

"My grandfather moved here and fell in love with a girl from Bon Temps," said Eric. "It was my Gran who caught his eye."

She passed her eyes over him. Vikings had a hand in the circumstances that had led to her becoming a vampire. In 919, she had disguised herself as a boy and ridden out with her uncle, Niall Glundubh, the high king of Ireland as he met the Vikings on the battlefield near Dublin. People of today would, no doubt, find that remarkable. But, noble women of the time were expected to hold down their husband's homelands when he went off to war. They were the commanders of the men who stayed behind as a defensive force. Her father had schooled her well in the art of battle before he had been killed along with the rest of her immediate family. So, she had not ridden out that day as a naïve fool. But, in battle, things have a way of not going according to plan. The Vikings were victorious and her uncle fell in battle and was killed and she, herself, was mortally wounded. She had gone in search of answers and had instead only found death and the promise of a new life offered by a dark-haired boy. It had been so long ago, she thought. Still the prospect of conquering this one Viking did have a certain amount of appeal.

"Is Sookie Stackhouse your real name?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "But, it is just one name of many that I have had over my vampire lifetime."

She leaned in kissed him and his lips tasted even sweeter than before. He kissed her back and his hands came up and moved into her hair. She liked that very much and kissed him more passionately as her tongue tasted those sweet lips. When his own tongue came out to play, she teased and nibbled at his lips. She eased him down and moved astride him. His hands moved from her hair to exploring her body, but they stopped, almost shyly, as her hips. She kissed a path to his neck and restrained herself from dropping fang. Wouldn't want to scare him too much, she thought. She trailed her tongue across that virgin flesh and his sweet flavor was even more powerful. She closed her eyes in pleasure and settled for this little taste of him. She was rewarded by a soft moan and his hands gripped her much more possessively. She slipped a hand underneath his shirt and felt the alluring warmth of his body. His breath caught as she gently massaged one of his nipples and he reacted instinctively by moving his hips against her. She guessed that he would be a handful in bed and that increased her excitement. He gave another soft moan and his hands sought her face. He pulled her to his lips and eagerly kissed her as his arms moved and encircled her body. With his body pressed against hers, there was little doubt about the state of his arousal. He shifted position and his lips eagerly sought her breasts. He brushed his lips across the fabric covering her nipples and couldn't restrain himself from trying to take one in his mouth, shirt and all. She smiled at his eagerness. He was so absolutely cute and she found that cute was much more attractive than she ever thought possible. She reluctantly pulled a little back and gazed at him. His pupils are enlarged and his skin was flushed. His lips had bore the brunt of her ardent kisses and were slightly swollen. She licked his lips and then put her finger over them.

"We should stop," she said.

She sat back and caressed his chest and noted with satisfaction that his hips seemed to have a mind of their own. His eyes closed blissfully as he made contact with her. But, he turned his head away from her on the pillow, as if in embarrassment. She gently took his chin in her fingers and turned him back to her. She leaned down and sweetly kissed his lips.

"I'm not rejecting you," she said. "Quite the opposite. I want you to be sure that this is what you want."

"You do want to?" he asked shyly.

"You don't know how much," she said.

She leaned down and kissed him again and then moved off of him. She got up and slipped on her shoes and walked over to her jacket. As she turned around, she saw that he had rolled over. No doubt to hide that very obvious hardon in his jeans. She couldn't stop a little smile from forming. He was shy about it, she thought. Not that he had any reason to be. Goodness, talk about Viking proportions, she thought. She could probably have had her way with him up here in his bedroom while Gran, downstairs, wondered what they were up to. But, he deserved something more than that. His first time should be something special, just like he was. Just like the first time that they shared blood together would be. No, she might be a little jaded and disillusioned after all this time, but she still had a soft spot for her Viking virgin. She would make it good for him and she would make sure that it wasn't coerced. She picked up the photographs and slipped them in her pocket.

"I'll keep these and look some more into things," she said.

"Will….will I be seeing you soon?" he asked.

She leaned down and kissed him. "You can bet on it."

Second Base

Eric's POV

When Gran opened the door and he saw Sookie standing there, he couldn't stop his eyes from staring. She was all in black and her blonde hair was luminous against it. She was exquisite, like a little China doll. It was easy to forget that she was a powerful vampire that could probably toss him across the room with her little finger. She was dangerous, he told himself, and you shouldn't forget that. But, maybe that was part of her attraction. Beauty and danger rolled up in a pretty blonde package. Sookie managed to easily charm her way past Gran and even he was impressed with her skills. The flowers were a very nice touch. Gran adored good old-fashioned manners and courtesy. He wondered if Sookie had the ability to read people and size them up due to her long experiences. He had brought her to his room because he didn't want Gran to know to see the tapes. Gran was progressive for someone her age, but there were limits to what Eric wanted to expose her to. He had watched nervously as she had explored his personal surroundings. What clues about himself was she able to detect?

She had then passed him the dvds and taken off her jacket. She was so pretty and he liked that her top had not been black, even if it had been a dark color. But, he hadn't been expecting her to be lying on his bed when he turned back around. She was sprawled out there like she owned it and that confidence made her seem even more attractive. He wasn't turned off by strong women. Gran had certainly been a good example of that. When she patted the bed and smiled at him, his stomach began doing somersaults. He wanted to accept more than an invitation to sit beside her. Was she seducing him? Did he want her to seduce him? She was surely laughing at him, he thought. So, he tried to sit away from her, but she moved next to him anyways, so close that her body rested against his shoulder. Then, she started watching the discs. The images were moving too fast for his eyes to make anything out. It was another example of how, in many ways, she was a physically superior being. And then, she had found Maudette on the disc. After a short conversation, he realized that the real purpose of her visit was just to see him again. But, she had honestly told him that much. Was he frightened or flattered or both? She also let him in on the fact that she was someone of importance in the vampire hierarchy. He wasn't sure if that made him nervous or not. But, she had still offered to help him and she certainly would have the influence to do so.

And then, she had begun to kiss him and all of his careful aloofness went out the window. She kissed him unlike any other girl that he had ever kissed. She seemed to know just the way that he liked it and how to please him. Her petite body had felt as if had been made just for his hands to touch. He didn't mind that she was on top. It made it so much easier for him to explore her body and he loved the way she felt underneath his fingers. He had kissed a few girls before and even progressed to the petting stage, but their thoughts had been too distracting and none of those thoughts made him feel special. They, of course, were much more experienced than him and it was just awkward and being able to hear them made it even more so. But, the only thing he heard was his own soft sighs, along with a soft moan from her. He couldn't get enough of touching her and his body responded as if it were on autopilot. A part of his brain told him to stop because things were going too far and that Gran would be able to hear what was going on in here. But, the delightful way that her body felt in his hands eclipsed those arguments. Those hands had detected that her pert breasts were unencumbered by a bra and that knowledge had been too much for him. He had run his lips over the hardened tips of her nipples through her blouse and the next thing he knew he was sucking on a mouthful of breast and fabric. She had pushed him away at that and he felt like the inexperienced amateur that he was. He had wanted to crawl under the covers, but she sweetly kissed him and reassured him. She had certainly exercised more restraint than him. She still wanted to give him the option of choice and put him in control of what happened. As she had moved to put on her jacket, he wondered if she was so confident of her abilities that she was willing to let him decide because the end result would be the same. He was still hugely aroused and he rolled over to hide that fact from her. How embarrassing, he thought. But, when she kissed him goodbye and said that she would be seeing him again, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Once she was gone, he locked the door and lied back on his bed. He closed his eyes and he could smell the scent of her perfume on his clothes. Her scent. He imagined her fingers on him as he reached down and released a very pressing and uncomfortable erection from his jeans. He slid his fingers up and down the length of his shaft and imagined the way her hands and tongue on him would feel. He twisted into his pillow as he gave himself the release that he desperately needed. As he came, he uttered one soft word.

"Sookie."

**A/N: **I had to include both POV's in this chapter. Even if Sookie wants to have him, she still has standards. She wants him unencumbered by the magic of her blood and she wants him to be fully conscious of the decision. She isn't above using her wiles on him, of course. He excites her, but she wants his first time to be special.

Jason's growing addition to V will only lead to trouble, since, as Sheriff of this area, Sookie would look on that as less than favorably if she were to ever find out.

I had to leave Eric with his Viking heritage since that is what he is. So, that left me in a quandary about Sookie's background since I couldn't call her a Viking too. So, I managed to join her story with a real Niall (nod to book fairy great-grandfather). Her story is still similar to what Eric's was and sometime in the future we may have a flashback about her family and her meeting with Godric who turned her on that Irish battlefield.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **A little Lorena and her friends in this chapter and a little date with Sookie.

Chapter 6

Lorena and Friends

Eric was busy the next night, but his mind kept revolving around his own problems with Jason taking center stage. Of course, the interest of the vampires was also a concern, but family was always first. It was a busy night and he managed to block out the voices, so it was a surprise when a man took a seat at the bar and slid an envelope towards him.

"What's this?" asked Eric.

"It's an estimate for fixing the electrical wiring in the Compton place," he said.

"Okay, why are you giving it to me? Eric asked.

"I don't want to go over there at night, with her being a vampire and all," he said.

"How exactly does that concern me?" asked Eric.

"Aren't you friendly with her?" asked the man.

"She's not going to bite you," said Eric.

"Forgive me if she gives me the willies," the man said. "I would look at it as a personal favor."

Eric frowned and said, "There are favors and there are favors. What exactly am I getting out of this?"

"I'll give you a 20% discount on any electrical work," said the man.

"Make it 30% and you have a deal," said Eric.

"Jeesh, I always thought you were so nice," said the man.

"You mean gullible," said Eric. "Look, deliver it yourself if you don't like those terms. Aren't you going to have to do the work there?"

"I plan on working in the daytime," he said.

Eric moved off to deal with another customer and the man grabbed his arm. "Okay, I agree."

Eric took the envelope and put it behind the bar. Hopefully, Lorena would come to Merlott's tonight and he wouldn't have to pay her a visit. It was then that Bud Dearborn and the Bon Temps square dance club came into the bar. They were all excited about winning a dance contest and Eric was too busy to think of anything else but work. The night passed quickly and it was closing time before he knew it. Eric quickly cleaned and restocked and then he turned his attention to his personal business.

Walking into the back, he went into the walk-in fridge and found Lafayette in there putting supplies away. He leaned up against the door and waited until Lafayette turned around. As Lafayette saw Eric there, he jumped in surprise.

"Jesus, Eric, don't sneak up on me like that," he said.

Eric stayed where he was and didn't say anything. Lafayette shrugged and moved to the door, but Eric didn't move out of his way.

"Excuse me," said Lafayette, as he stood in front of Eric.

Eric reached out a finger and pushed Lafayette back. "I know that you deal drugs, Lafayette. That is normally your business and I don't judge. But, when you decided to sell drugs to my brother, then it became my business."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Lafayette.

"I think that you do," said Eric. "Starting from right now, you will no longer be doing business with Jason."

"Just what are you saying Babycakes?" asked Lafayette.

"I'm saying that if you decide to ignore this warning, I will fuck you up," said Eric.

He spoke with calm certainty and he was sure that Eric would follow through with what he had said. Lafayette felt a little chill of fear and the fact that Eric was completely as calm as if he were discussing the weather scared him. Lafayette decided that he didn't want the kind of trouble that Eric could bring to his doorstep.

"Consider Jason, clean and sober," said Lafayette. "And if he isn't, don't come complaining to me."

"Excellent. I'm glad that we came to an agreement," said Eric.

Eric turned away and Lafayette mumbled, "In the middle of that family, is not where you wants to be Lala."

Eric pulled into Lorena's driveway and saw that another car was already there. It was an old sedan and Eric noticed that the license plate read, FANG 1. There was also a bumper sticker that said 'Honk if you are a blood donor'. Eric considered turning around and leaving, but he didn't want to come back another time. He could hear music playing as he knocked on the door. It was answered by female vampire with dark skin who was wearing a shimmery dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. Her beauty was diminished by the hard look in her eyes. She eyed him from head to toe. She looked back over her shoulder.

"Lorena, you've been holding out on us," she said. "You said that this town didn't have any prospects."

It was at this moment that a dark-haired male vampire appeared next to the female one. With a flex of his jaw muscles, he lowered his fangs and Diane followed suit.

"What do we have here, Diane?" he said. "He looks fresh."

"I'm here to see Lorena," said Eric.

"Well, come in Gorgeous," said Diane.

Eric stepped through the door to see Lorena standing near a window in a corner. There was a wan-looking woman lying on one of her sofas and muscular man in very short cutoffs on the other. Diane followed right beside Eric and leaned and invaded his personal space as she took a quick sniff.

"Oh, my, where have you been hiding him? He smells sweet," she said.

Malcolm grabbed him from the rear and Diane moved to his neck as Eric put out his hand. For a brief moment, he felt a weird tingle in his hand as if something was happening. But, Lorena's voice rang out and the moment passed as the vampires let his go.

"Stop!" she said.

"Oh, don't tell me that you aren't going to share," replied Malcolm.

"He is under Sookie Stackhouse's protection," said Lorena.

Diane hissed in aggravation and moved away from him. It was then that another vampire walked into the room and Eric recognized the infamous Liam.

"Ooh, he's new," said Liam.

"Forget about him," replied Malcolm. "Our illustrious Sheriff had put her claim on that one."

"Someone needs to get down on my Johnson," said Liam.

Eric watched as the woman on the sofa sat up and moved to unzip Liam's pants. He turned away and Diane giggled.

"Ah, he's innocent," she said.

"He won't be for long," said Malcolm with a chuckle. "It's a good thing that I always bring Jerry along with me wherever I go."

Eric watched as Malcolm took a seat next to the man in the short cutoffs. He found that he just wanted to get away from these vampires. They were emboldened by each other and he suspected that their cruelty knew few bounds. He pulled out the envelope and handed it to Lorena.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's an estimate from the electrician," he said.

"Why didn't he bring to me?" she asked.

"He is afraid of you," said Eric.

"I'm surprised that you came to see me," she said.

"It's not exactly a social visit," replied Eric.

"You're still angry about what happened at Fangtasia," she said.

"I don't appreciate being called your property," replied Eric.

"I was only doing that to protect you," said Lorena. "You don't understand how dangerous Sookie is."

Eric looked over the other vampires and said, "I'm beginning to see that all of you are dangerous."

"Since, your pretty boy neighbor isn't going to put out with the goods," said Malcolm. "You're welcome to have some of Jerry."

Eric watched as Jerry walked over and took a seat on the couch near Lorena. He caressed himself and turned his head to the side. Lorena stared at him as Eric could hear his thoughts.

'_Bite me, you stupid vamp whore. There's a little dose of Hep D waiting for you in these veins. Fuck all these vampires. My lover wouldn't have left me if it wasn't for them.'_

Eric watched as Lorena looked on Jerry with a mixture of hunger and disgust. Disgust finally won out and she turned away from Jerry.

"No thanks," she said. "I think that I'd rather drink Tru Blood."

Eric decided to hold his tongue about the Hep D. He wasn't even sure what Hep D was, but whatever it was, these vampires had it coming. He wondered if he would have said something if Lorena had decided to feed on Jerry. Lorena walked him to the door. It was then that Eric remembered his grandmother's request.

"My grandmother wants to know if you would be interested in speaking to The Descendants of the Glorious Dead," he said.

"Would this make you happy?" asked Lorena.

"It would make my grandmother happy," said Eric.

"I guess that I do owe you for saving my life," replied Lorena.

"I'll tell Gran that you agreed," said Eric. "I'll be going, now."

"You can always change your mind, you know," said Lorena.

Eric ducked his head and quickly left as Lorena shut the door.

"Honey, that was painful to watch," said Malcolm. "Begging for it like that."

"Shut up," hissed Lorena.

"Hmmm, with Sookie as your competition, you don't stand a chance," said Malcolm.

"I think that you have worn out your welcome," said Lorena.

"Diane, darling, it seems that we are being tossed out like yesterday's garbage," said Malcolm. He turned and looked over at Liam who finished up and zipped up his pants and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you used to be a lot of fun," said Diane. "We used to have some good times."

"Not here," said Lorena.

"Excuse me?" asked Malcolm.

"Not here in Bon Temps," she replied. "I'll come to Monroe."

Diane clapped her hands and Liam said, "Fuck yeah."

"You big poser," smirked Malcolm. "For a second there, I was almost taken in by your wholesome act."

"I expect party favors," said Lorena. "Make sure that they are tall and blonde."

"Consider it done," replied Malcolm.

"And that they're disposable," said Lorena.

Invitation

As Eric arrived home, he found Gran was still waiting up for him. She was in her nightie and her gray hair was down. The collie mutt met him at the door and Eric petted him as Tina watched with a sour look from the sofa back.

"You're home late," said Gran.

"I had to drop off something at Lorena's," he said. "I did ask about The Descendants of the Glorious Dead."

"Oh?" asked Adele with bated breath.

"She said that she would be happy to speak to your club," said Eric.

"Oh, that's wonderful," replied Adele, with a broad smile.

"She's not a civil war soldier," said Eric. "I don't understand what you are expecting her to say."

"Any information from that time is interesting," said Adele. "Oh, I almost forgot. A package came for you."

Gran led him into the kitchen and there he saw a small brown package on the table. Eric reached for it and didn't see a return address. He opened it up and found a soft light blue sweater inside. Gran ran her hand over it with a smile.

"Oh my goodness, that's cashmere," she said.

Eric also found a note inside the box.

_Eric,_

_I'm asking you out on a date, tomorrow night._

_Sookie._

_p.s. I'll arrive at 9pm._

Adele looked over his shoulder and read the note with a little smile. "I think that she's sweet on you," she said.

"She's a vampire, Gran," replied Eric.

"I know that," said Gran. "That doesn't mean that she doesn't like you."

Adele picked up the sweater and examined it closer. "She's got good taste in sweaters and in men," she said.

She kissed the top of Eric's head and said, "How about a sandwich?"

"Sometimes, I wonder if you are the mind-reader," replied Eric, with a smile.

Date Night

It was Friday night, but Sam let Eric come in earlier in the day so that he could be off by 9PM. He doubted that Sam would have been so accommodating if he had known the real reason that Eric wanted to change his schedule. So, Eric had showered and dressed and redressed, until Gran had insisted that he wear the sweater that Sookie had sent for him. He came downstairs with his hair combed and in the baby blue sweater. He pulled a jacket over it when he heard a car coming down the driveway. He felt a moment of nervousness, but rushed outside just as Sookie stopped in a convertible. Her hair was wind-blown, but still managed to look as if it were styled that way. She was wearing a dark blue top that left her shoulders bare, along with dark blue jeans. As he walked to the car, he saw Sookie wave and blow a kiss to his grandmother.

"Don't wait up," she called out.

Eric got into the low-slung seat with a little difficulty and Sookie put the car in gear and sped off.

"Buckle up," said Sookie.

"You do know that you're scary sometimes," said Eric.

"Because I can charm your grandmother?" asked Sookie.

"She thinks that you're a little darling," said Eric.

Sookie winked and said, "I am a little darling."

"You almost make me forget how dangerous you are," said Eric.

"Well, we can't have that," replied Sookie.

She reached over and squeezed his thigh and smirked. "Admit it, it's that little taste of danger that excites you," she said.

She put her hand back on the gearshift and shifted gears as the car rapidly accelerated. As the dotted line began to blur, Eric gripped his armrest.

"I am mortal, you know," he said. "I would like to live through this date."

"I'll do my best to keep you alive," replied Sookie.

"Where are we going?"

"The airport," replied Sookie.

"Excuse me?" asked Eric.

"We are taking a little flight," she said.

"To where?" asked Eric.

"Dallas," said Sookie.

"I think that you should take me back home," said Eric. "I agreed to go on a date with you, not to be kidnapped and dragged across state lines."

"Relax, you're so high-strung, sometimes," she said. "It's Friday night which means that there isn't any school and that you are off work, unless Sam Merlott is paying you overtime which is very unlikely."

"I don't like my decisions being made for me," said Eric.

Sookie pursed her lips for a moment and said, "Point taken. I apologize for my haughty ways, but I am a vampire and that is second-nature."

She turned to Eric and said, "Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to Dallas? You will have your own room and I don't expect anything more than your delightful company."

Eric sat in thought and she said, "Come on, give me a chance."

"I know that you're playing me," said Eric.

"Isn't that part of the fun?" asked Sookie with a smirk.

The airplane had arrived in Dallas and Eric waited in the hangar as Sookie's flight coffin was unloaded. Even though it was nighttime, she said that she always traveled inside one, since it was safer for her kind. So, Eric had ridden in the passenger cabin along with the other humans. The quarters were cramped, but the passengers were treated very well by the airline staff. Eric requested a seat by the window and he had watched with fascination as the plane took off and landed. This was his first flight ever and he had always expected the experience to be exciting. He was rather disappointed to find out that it was very boring. The entire flight lasted about an hour. Sookie appeared and he found out that she had arranged a car and driver for them. They piled into the back of the limo and Eric expected to be dropped off at their hotel. But, when he got out of the limo, he saw that they were at a personal residence.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"I have to see an old friend," said Sookie. "Vampire business, you know."

"Oh, perhaps, I should just wait in the limo," said Eric.

"Nonsense, I like showing you off," she said with a smile.

She tucked her arm around his and pulled him inside. It was a furnished in an expensive and modern style. Eric noticed several vampires and a few humans inside and wondered if they all lived here. Sookie stopped before a door and knocked. When she heard a voice inside, she opened the door and drew Eric inside with her. Eric saw a very young looking vampire with short dark hair. He looked like a teenager to Eric's eyes. He was dressed in simple and unassuming clothes of jeans and simple shirt. Sookie let go of his hand and moved to the vampire. She bowed her head solemnly.

"Godric," she said.

Eric watched as the vampire raised her head by a finger to the chin. He caressed her cheek in a display of affection.

"Sookie, it has been much too long," he said.

He turned his eyes on Eric and said, "Who is your companion?"

"This is Eric Northman," said Sookie. "Eric, this is Godric."

"It's nice to meet you," said Eric, uncomfortably.

"Isn't he polite," said Godric with a little smile.

Godric studied him a little closer than Eric liked. Eric could sense that this vampire was very powerful, more powerful than Sookie. He began to feel uneasy and almost wished that he could read vampire minds.

"Would you like a beverage?" asked Godric. "We do stock human food items here."

"Ah, no thank you," replied Eric.

"Well, I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I was in town," said Sookie. "Perhaps, we can meet again."

"I look forward to it," said Godric. "Bring your charming companion, as well."

Sookie ushered him out of Godric's office and gave Godric a glance that Eric didn't see. Godric nodded his head a few millimeters in return. From there, they finally drove to the hotel and Eric was amazed at how large it was. Was there really that much vampire tourism? The building was several stories tall and there was an impressive security force in evidence. Checking in only took a few minutes and they were on the elevator to their suite, since they were not encumbered with any luggage. Opening the door, he saw a large room with huge picture windows. There were modern style sofas and chairs around a fireplace. He saw three rooms off this main room and they turned out to be bedrooms and a very well-appointed bathroom. The walls were dark charcoal grey and the accent colors were white, black and red. He looked out the window for a moment at the lights of the business district high rises and felt Sookie's hands on his shoulders. He tensed until he realized that she was only slipping off his jacket. She placed it across one of the sofa backs and lit the fireplace with a little remote that was on the coffee table.

"So, do you want to go downstairs for dinner or do you want room service?" she asked.

"Um, I'm not sure," said Eric.

"Well, I would rather stay up here and keep you all to myself," said Sookie. "But, since I'm not eating dinner, it's really your choice."

Eric brushed a hand through his hair and Sookie noticed the way his muscles moved underneath that sweater. He was so unconscious of how devastatingly handsome he was, she thought.

"I guess that we could stay up here," he said, finally.

"Good choice," said Sookie.

After looking through the menu, she ordered dinner for him. She took a seat on the sofa and patted the spot next to her. As Eric sat down next to her, she moved in and ran her hand over his sweater.

"I've been dying to do that all night, you little tease," she said. "Have I told you that this is your color?"

"I thought that vampires liked black," replied Eric.

"I do like black, but I just adore baby blue when it's on you," she said.

She gently took his chin in her hands and leaned in and lightly kissed his lips. Her fingers moved into his hair as she continued to kiss him. She moved her hand and ran it over the sweater as she explored the body underneath it. It was then the doorbell rang and she stopped and smiled.

"Saved by the bell," she said.

Sookie let in the kitchen staff and they unloaded the dinner and dessert, along with a bottle of wine. Sookie generously tipped them and poured Eric a glass of wine. She ruffled his hair and gave him a smile.

"I'm going to take a bath while you eat," she said.

She moved off the bathroom, but paused outside the door and gave him a little smirk.

"Feel free to join me at any time," she said.

As she left, Eric took a big gulp of his wine to calm the butterflies in his stomach. Well, he thought, things were never dull and boring with her.

**A/N: **Hmmm, I think Sookie has definite designs on our Viking telepath. And just what is going on with Godric? (Sorry, any story that I can even write a cameo for Godric, I will). More of their 'date night' to come.

We saw Lorena and the Unholy Trinity making plans. I always wondered about Bill and them. I do get the feeling that they partied pretty hard.

We also saw a beginning perhaps of Eric's fairy powers when he feels threatened at Lorena's by Malcolm and Diane. And I do like bringing some of Eric's old personality into this new Eric because I do think that it fits him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **This chapter has a little citrus as Sookie broadens Eric's experiences, but it's not too bad. When we last saw our couple, they had checked into the Hotel Carmilla.

Chapter 7

Eric found that his feet made their way to the bathroom as if by their own accord. He peeked inside and found Sookie lying in a huge tub full of bubbles. Her tiny body seemed dwarfed by the tub. Her hair was pinned up, but a few tendrils escaped and hung wetly around her neck. Her eyes were closed and her hands gripped the sides of the tube. He knew that she was dangerous, but his eyes only seemed to see how beautiful she was. She has you right where she wants you, he told himself. Yet, did he want to escape?

"I know that you're there," she said.

She opened her eyes and smiled and Eric noted with disappointment that the bubbles completely covered her body. A pink painted toenail peeked out of the foam and seemed to tease him.

"You could hand me a towel," she said, pointing to a plush towel hanging on a rack inside the bathroom.

Eric walked over and picked up the towel and it unfolded as he made his way towards Sookie. She stood up as he drew near and that caused him to stop. He stared, unable to look away. She seemed totally at ease in her own skin and that confidence appealed to him.

"See anything that you like?" teased Sookie.

She reached out and pulled the towel from his hands. She whipped it around her and stepped out of the tub. She moved past him, but stopped long enough to touch his chin with her finger and close his slack jaw. She smirked and walked out of the bathroom and made her way to her room. After pulling on a short nightgown, she came back out to find Eric sitting on the sofa. He had turned on the television and Sookie leaned into his ear from behind the sofa.

"Have I told you how absolutely adorable you are?" she asked.

"Are you done teasing me?" asked Eric.

"Nope," she said, as she licked the edge of his ear.

In a blink, she was at his other ear. "I'm only getting started," she said.

He attempted to grab her and she was gone. She appeared lounging on the other couch and said, "You missed me."

"Show off," said Eric, but he was impressed.

She smiled and moved again. She appeared instantly before him and lifted his chin with her hand and kissed him. She disappeared and he felt her lips on the nape of his neck. She giggled and ruffled his hair. In the next instant, she was crouched over his lap. His eyes widened and she grabbed his hands and pushed them back against the sofa back. She held him just long enough to demonstrate her strength and then leaned in to kiss him. He moved his hands around her waist as his lips sought hers. Sookie ran her fingers through his hair and gently held his chin. She stared into those pretty eyes that were a mixture of blue and green.

"Are you enthralled by my power?" she asked.

"Scared might be a better word," replied Eric.

"You don't act like you're scared of me," said Sookie.

"Maybe, I'm bluffing," replied Eric.

Sookie kissed his cheek and moved to his ear. "Are you gambling on my mercy or on my predatory instincts?" she asked.

"I haven't decided," replied Eric.

Sookie kissed his ear and her hand moved underneath his sweater. "Maybe, I can sway your decision."

She nibbled on his ear lobe as her hands caressed him. She then tickled him and Eric jumped in surprise and evaded her teasing fingers.

"Somebody's ticklish," she said with a smile.

"I am not," replied Eric

He tried to get away from her, but Sookie held him and continued to tickle him.

"Stop that," he gasped, as he tried to catch her hands. But, Sookie's hands moved in a blinding blur and found his vulnerable midsection. He tried to stop from laughing, but under her attack, it was impossible.

"No fair, vampire powers," he cried out.

Sookie stopped for a moment and said, "Vampires don't play fair."

"Even you?" asked Eric.

"Especially not me," replied Sookie.

"Don't hurt me," he said.

"I would never harm you," said Sookie.

"I mean, don't break my heart," said Eric, looking into her eyes.

Sookie touched a strand of his hair that had fallen into his eyes and eased it off his forehead. That simple plea had stirred something inside of her. The only way that she could manage to break his heart was if he were to give it to her. She found herself thinking of him over her own desires.

"Are you sure that it's wise to put your heart in my safekeeping?" asked Sookie.

"I don't know what to think when I'm around you," said Eric. "I only know that I can't seem to fight my attraction to you."

"If I didn't know better, I might think that you were trying to seduce me," said Sookie with a little smile.

"That's funny," said Eric.

"Don't sell yourself short," said Sookie. "You're a natural at this game. A true, raw talent and I'm quite smitten."

"Are we playing a game?" asked Eric.

"Oh, yes," replied Sookie. "The oldest game in the world."

"So, I'm some sort of challenge or trophy for you?" asked Eric.

"You have my intentions all wrong. This is the only game where we both win," she said.

"It's not a fair challenge," said Eric.

"You're so right," said Sookie. "You've flashed those baby blues at me and wrapped me around your little finger."

"I'm not susceptible to your flattery," said Eric.

"Yes, you are," replied Sookie, with a smirk.

She leaned in and kissed him. She caressed his cheek as she moved to his ear. "But, I'm not lying about being lost in those pretty eyes of yours," she said.

"What exactly do you want from me?" asked Eric.

"Everything," replied Sookie.

Eric seemed at a loss for words and Sookie said, "I'm not like other girls."

"That's obvious," replied Eric, with a smile. "It's why I like you so much."

"Well, aren't you sweet?" said Sookie.

"Not really," said Eric.

Sookie smiled and said, "Maybe, I wasn't talking about your disposition. Maybe, I was referring to the taste of your blood."

"Yes, about that," began Eric.

"I see that you have preconceived notions," interrupted Sookie. "I'm afraid that biting goes with the territory of being with a vampire. But, don't knock it until you try it."

"I'm not running away, am I?" replied Eric.

"You just might discover that you like it," said Sookie.

Sookie leaned into him and whispered in his ear, "We can try it, right now."

"I don't know," began Eric.

"Biting is like getting to third base for vampires," said Sookie, with a smirk.

"What's a home run?" asked Eric.

"What do you think?" replied Sookie with a wink. "If you're going to be my boyfriend, there are certain obligations that you have to meet, Sweetheart."

"That's not very romantic," said Eric.

"That's a matter of opinion," replied Sookie. "I just like to cut through all the bullshit. I'm not sweet or shy, but I will tell you upfront that I want you in every way possible."

"Oh, my sweet gravy," mumbled Eric.

Sookie parted her lips and dropped her fangs as Eric's eyes widened. She trailed her hand through his hair and said, "This is who I am. You have to decide if you can accept that."

"And if I said no?" asked Eric.

"Then, I would do my best to respect your decision," said Sookie. "But, I do have a way of getting what I want."

Eric stared for a long moment and reached out his hand and touched her lips. As his finger came to one of her fangs, he watched as Sookie's eyes closed as if in pleasure. He felt her body tense beside him and she opened her eyes. Her eyes were dark with something he didn't recognize. He felt a moment of fear, but it didn't last because he was sure that Sookie wouldn't harm him. She sat before him and waited for him to give her permission. He knew that she was certainly strong enough to take what she wanted from him, but he also knew that she would not. He closed his eyes and made his decision. With his eyes still closed, he slowly turned his head and revealed his throat to her. But, he felt Sookie's fingers on his chin. She turned his head back to her and leaned in and kissed him. He could feel the impression of her fangs in that kiss, but it didn't turn him off. Still kissing him, she moved into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she moved to his neck and softly kissed him there. Her kisses were gentle and the touch of her lips sent a chill down his spine.

"Don't be afraid," she whispered in his ear.

"I'm not with you," he replied.

He flinched as her fangs pierced his flesh, but then, she sucked at the bites and it felt incredibly good. She made a soft moan of pleasure and he wrapped his arms tighter around her. He found himself becoming sexually aroused at this experience and Sookie rocked her hips against him as if detecting that fact. Her moans became more like growls, yet that seemed to only inflame him more. He groaned and gripped her hips in his hands. Her hand snaked down and cupped him and he yearned for her to keep on touching him. As she caressed him and fed from him, he felt himself drawing ever closer to coming.

"Sookie," he sighed.

She stopped and turned his head again back to her. She licked her lips and kissed him. He seemed to feel that kiss all the way to his toes. As she moved back to his neck, he pulled her closer. He couldn't stop his own reactions and, with a groan, he shuddered as he came with her fangs on his neck. As he shivered in her arms, she licked at his neck.

"I think that might be better than sex," he said.

"Not quite, Darlin," smirked Sookie. "It gets much better."

Sookie poured a fresh glass of wine for Eric and headed to the bathroom. She had dumped him in the tub after feeding on him to clean him off. She smiled. His reactions had been perfect. He was a very sexual person even if he didn't have any true experience. But, he had walked through that door and there wasn't any turning back for him. Her sweet Viking sat in all his birthday suit handsomeness in the tub surrounded by sudsy foam. He had tasted sweet all right, she thought, sweeter than anyone else she had ever had and that was saying a lot. In fact, there was a definite nonhuman flavor to that blood. She didn't know what he was. But, it was a reason for Lorena's interest in him. It was a mystery that she needed to solve for his sake as well. Sookie took a seat on the edge of the tub and handed him the glass of wine.

"Are you trying to get me drunk and have your way with me?" he asked.

"I think that you're already tipsy," she replied. "I must have a weakness for tall, blonde lushes."

Eric sipped the drink and sat the glass on the tile shelf next to the tub. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her into the tub. Sookie let out a shriek and splashed and sputtered like a wet cat. She directed a huge splash at him and Eric tried to cover his eyes. She then plucked at her wet nightgown that clung to her body and pushed her now soaking hair out of her face.

"You rotten scoundrel," she hissed.

"You deserved that for getting me all messy," replied Eric.

"I think that you enjoyed every minute of that," she said.

Eric leaned in and kissed her and she could taste the wine on his lips. "Okay, I admit that I did enjoy every minute of it, which kind of freaks me out," he said.

Eric pulled her into his arms and Sookie smoothed his damp hair. "I told you to keep an open mind," she said.

"Is it always like that?' he asked.

"Better," replied Sookie.

Eric looked down and asked, "Why did you stop? Wasn't that like foreplay?"

"There isn't any reason to rush," said Sookie.

Sookie picked up the sponge and smoothed it over his arms. "Tell me, did my dirty boy get all clean?"

"I think that I might have missed a spot," he said.

"Did you, now?" asked Sookie with a smirk.

She trailed the sponge over his chest. "I don't think that it was here," she said. She brought the sponge down and played it over his nipples and Eric closed his eyes.

"You're getting closer," he whispered.

The sponge slipped even farther down and gently explored his tummy. "How's this?" asked Sookie.

A slight blush formed on his cheeks and he said, "Almost there."

Sookie trailed the sponge between his legs and Eric sharply inhaled. "That's the spot," he sighed.

"So, my darling Viking, are you blonde all the way down?" asked Sookie with a smile.

"I'm afraid that there is only one way to find that out," replied Eric.

"I showed you mine," said Sookie.

"I did appreciate that, but I'm a little shy," he replied.

"We'll just have to do something about that," she said.

Sookie let go of the sponge and began to ease Eric up the side of the tub. She felt some resistance from him as he left the cover of the bubbles. She got him seated on the shelf with his legs still dangling in the water and she gently pushed him back into the tile wall. He looked uncomfortable and reached for a towel to cover his nakedness.

"Don't," said Sookie, stopping his hand. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

He was glorious sitting there, she thought. His lean, but well-formed body wetly glistened from the bath. His abdominals were taut and defined. Her eyes dipped lower and she admired the rest of his body. He was aroused and she took her first look at the goods. He certainly had something that she could work with. Jutting out from a nest of soft, dark blonde curls was a cock of magnificent proportions. It stood proudly at attention and Sookie felt like giving it a patriotic salute. She tried to keep in the giggle that mental image caused. She moved in closer to Eric and ran her hands up his thighs. She gently parted his thighs and kissed a path up his thigh. She felt his muscles tremble in either nervousness or excitement or maybe both. He couldn't shrink any farther back and Sookie looked up into his eyes as she trailed her tongue over him from base to tip. His breath caught and he seemed to forget to breathe until he gasped desperately for air. She stopped a moment and gazed into his eyes.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, no," gasped Eric.

"Ready or not, be prepared to have your little world rocked," said Sookie.

She began to lick him like a lollipop and then gave his manhood some well-deserved attention. His breath came out labored and, when she took him into her mouth, he gave a strangled cry and his hands gripped the tile ledge. She knew that she was good, even if she did chose to lavish this sort of attention on very few. She just didn't suck anyone's cock. From the noises that Eric was making, she was either taking him to heaven or killing him. He kept forgetting to breathe and every now and then a loud, gasping breath would be heard. As the almost tortured noises he was making indicated that he was reaching the point of coming, he trailed a hand through her hair. He only caressed her and as that impending moment drew closer, her tried to push her away. He was probably trying to be polite, she thought. But, Sookie doubled her efforts and he came so hard that she thought he had fainted. She looked up at his limp form and gently tapped his cheek.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

His eyelids fluttered and he got a silly grin on his face. "I'm just peachy," he sighed.

Sookie gave him a smile and finally covered him up with a towel. "I think that you've had enough excitement for now."

"I think that I want more."

"I don't think that you can handle anymore," replied Sookie.

He gave a contented sigh and said, "I'm think that you might need to carry me to bed because my legs feel like jello."

"I take it that you liked that?" asked Sookie.

"It was satisfactory," said Eric with a little grin.

Sookie slapped his thigh and said, "Listen up, cowboy, you're not too big for me to spank."

He leaned in and kissed her. "Promise?" he teased.

She pulled Eric up and wrapped the towel around his waist. She slipped her arm around him and led him to his bedroom. He was tired from too much to drink and from a very satisfying blow job, she thought, as she tucked him into bed. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand.

"Stay with me," he said.

His blue eyes were heavy lidded with sleepiness, but they still had the power to capture her. She wasn't a cuddler, but she found that she wanted to lie beside him and feel his warm arms around her. Did he have some sort of power to bring her under his spell? He kissed her hand and gently pulled her back towards him.

"How can I refuse?" asked Sookie.

"You can't," replied Eric, with calm certainty.

He smiled a sweet smile that seemed to know that he spoke the truth about her feelings. He just might be trouble, she thought, but trouble of the best kind.

**A/N: **Aw, they are so cute. Now, I want to restate that this story is obviously AU, but it is also concerns what would have happened if Sookie and Eric formed a relationship first. I don't exactly see a love triangle here, as Lorena is not who Eric falls in love with.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Jason's V problem is only getting bigger and it brings a new person into his life. It also brings him under the scrutiny of Pam, who's keen eyes don't miss much. Now, I had a little trouble writing Eric's deflowering, but after rewriting that scene several times, I settled on this version. I wanted to highlight a comment of Sookie's: _I'm also not above using everything at my disposal in order to get what I want_. Sookie is a vampire and that statement is, in fact, very true.

Chapter 8

I

Lafayette's late morning sleep-in was disturbed by a loud rattling at his door that refused to go away. Gazing at the bedside clock and frowning, he got up and moved into the living room. He could see Jason was standing outside his door and furiously knocking on it. Fuck, this was all he needed this early in the morning, thought Lafayette. He opened the door a crack to talk to him, but Jason pushed his way inside. Lafayette paused a moment and then closed the door.

"Well, come in and make yourself right at home," he said.

Lafayette studied him and detected that Jason was sweaty and fidgety which were obvious signs of V use. Perhaps, Eric had been right about him, thought Lafayette. That vial of vampire blood that he had sold to Jason should have lasted for weeks. Cutting him off just might be a good idea.

"I need some more of that, you know, V," said Jason.

"Is that so?" asked Lafayette.

"Come on, don't fuck with me," said Jason.

"You are a bad risk," said Lafayette. "You've went through that vial like it was candy. Shit, anyone looking at you could tell that you're high."

"Bad risk? Why don't I just tell Sheriff Dearborn about your little illegal hobby?" replied Jason.

"Bitch, you better have brains enough to keep your mouth shut," said Lafayette. "Why don't you ask your brother why the well has run dry."

"Excuse me?" asked Jason.

"Look, I'm fed up with both of you crazy Northmans getting up in my business and threatening me," said Lafayette.

"Eric threatened you?" asked Jason.

"Like I said, you needs to take that up with him," said Lafayette. "All I know is that you are bad for business, Jason."

"He has no right to interfere," hissed Jason.

Lafayette tightened his satin leopard print robe around him and said, "I need my beauty sleep. Now, get out."

"Like hell," said Jason. "I know that it's around here somewhere."

Jason turned away and began rifling through the clutter on Lafayette's coffee table. But only for a moment because Lafayette moved and pinned him up against the wall. He twisted Jason's arm behind his back until Jason cried out in pain.

"You're a stupid, punk-ass bitch, Jason," said Lafayette. "You're a walking cliché. I guess that your brother was right about you."

Lafayette manhandled him to the door and slammed him into the frame before opening the door and shoving him outside.

"Now, get the fuck out of here," said Lafayette. "And don't come back. And if you even think about telling anyone about my business, I'll make sure that you aren't as pretty anymore. I might be gay, but I can still kick your ass any day of the week."

Lafayette slammed the door and waited until he heard Jason's footsteps walking away. He moved to the coffee table and lit a cigar and took in a deep breath.

"Fucking amateur," he said.

II

Jason in a fit of anger barged into Adele's house. He yelled out Eric's name and moved into the kitchen where he found his grandmother reading a book at the kitchen table. The smell of baking cookies filled the air and the collie got up from his bed and moved beside Adele. He stared at Jason with deep brown eyes. Jason looked down at him.

"What's that mutt doing here?" he asked.

"Eric brought him home," said Gran. "He belongs here, now."

"I need to talk to Eric," said Jason. "Where is he?"

"He's ….out," said Gran.

She flipped a page and pretended to read it.

"Out? What do you mean?" asked Jason. "That boy doesn't have any friends besides Tara."

"He just might surprise you," replied Gran.

"Well, when is he coming back?" asked Jason.

"Sunday, I expect," replied Gran, turning another page.

"Are you kidding me? Wait a minute, is he off with a girl?" asked Jason.

"I believe that is his personal business," replied Gran.

"He's family," said Jason, forgetting his anger for a moment. "Snooping into each other's business is what family is for. So, who's the lucky girl?"

"I don't think that it's proper for me to tell you," said Gran.

"Is it that vampire that moved into town?" asked Jason.

"No, it's not her," replied Gran.

"Then, who?" asked Jason.

"You haven't met her," said Gran. "He met her in Shreveport."

"Why won't you tell me the details?" asked Jason with narrowed eyes. "What are you hiding?"

"Jason, I don't feel comfortable gossiping about Eric like this," said Gran. "Just leave him be."

"Did he go to that vampire bar in Shreveport?" asked Jason. "It is a vampire, isn't it?"

"I don't think that's important," said Gran.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Jason. "He saves it all these years to just give it up to a vampire?"

"Jason, that is enough," replied Gran. "I won't have you disrespecting your brother in this house."

"It's fine for him to disrespect me, though," muttered Jason. "And to butt into my personal business."

"What are you talking about?" asked Gran.

"Nevermind," said Jason.

Gran got up and removed the cookies from the oven. As she slid them onto a wire rack to cool, Jason grabbed one. He munched on the hot cookie and said, "You're not worried about him being all alone with whoever this vampire is?"

"I think that your brother is a good judge of character," said Gran.

"Right. He's a sex starved young man who's hoping to get laid, Gran," said Jason with a smirk.

"Jason!" admonished Gran.

Jason grabbed another cookie and suffered a smack from Gran's spatula for it. He moved to the fridge and grabbed the milk carton out of it as Gran sat a glass on the counter for him.

"Is she pretty?" asked Jason.

"Yes, she's very pretty," said Gran. "She seems rather nice."

"She's a vampire, Gran," said Jason. "None of them are nice."

III

As Sookie stirred at sunset, Eric appeared at her door. His hair was tousled and he wore only pajama bottoms. She wondered for a moment if he had slept all day. He had certainly looked down for the count when she had left him before dawn to make a phone call and retire to her own room.

"I woke up alone," he said.

"Old habits," said Sookie. "I prefer to sleep alone."

"I guess, I'll have to change that," replied Eric.

Sookie smiled and said, "Do you think that changing me is such an easy task? I can be very set in my ways."

"Are you trying to discourage me?" asked Eric.

"Not at all," replied Sookie. "I just want you to realize the challenge that you face."

"I'm very stubborn," said Eric.

"So, am I," said Sookie with a smirk.

Sookie sat up on her knees and displayed the baby blue teddy that she had chosen to sleep in with him in mind. She noticed with satisfaction that Eric was frozen in silent examination of her.

"I'm also not above using everything at my disposal in order to get what I want," she said.

"I can see that," replied Eric, looking up into her eyes.

She moved to the edge of the bed and held out her hand to him. "But, don't we both want the same thing?"

Eric paused and swallowed. He slowly put his hand in hers and Sookie smiled and pulled him in closer. She kissed him and then looked into his eyes.

"I know how special this moment is for you," she said. "You can't imagine how flattered I am that you are here with me."

"How….how do you know that," asked Eric. "Is it somehow obvious?"

"Not in the way that you are thinking," said Sookie. "Vampires just have a sixth sense about that sort of thing."

His shyness returned and she felt him stiffen in her hands. He seemed unable to meet her gaze and looked down.

"I think that we should stop," he said, softly.

"What is wrong?" asked Sookie, lifting his chin so that she could see his eyes.

"I'm sure that I would be disappointing to you," he said.

He tried to step away, but Sookie held onto him. She caressed him and said, "Nothing could be farther from the truth. You'll be a natural at this, trust me."

"You're just being nice," said Eric.

"I'm not nice," said Sookie.

She pulled him onto the bed. "What I am is a vampire who desperately wants to get her hands on you and do all sorts of naughty things to you."

"How naughty?" asked Eric.

"As naughty as you want me to be," replied Sookie.

"Did I mention that I have a huge imagination?" said Eric.

"That isn't the only thing about you that is huge," asked Sookie, with a smirk.

A part of his anatomy seemed to hear her words and respond automatically. He knew that he was large. Showering after gym class had shown him that he wasn't average in that department. However, it had been more of a source of embarrassment to him than anything else, since some of the girls Jason had set him up with seemed more keen on actually finding out what was in his pants than caring about what sort of person he was. Perhaps, Sookie was the same, too. But, at least, he couldn't hear her thoughts, if that was the case.

Suddenly, her fingers were sliding his clothes down and she tipped his chin up again as she kissed him.

"Your shyness is adorable," she said. "Any other man would be waving that around like it was some sort of banner."

"I'm not an exhibitionist," said Eric.

"For my eyes only, then?" she asked.

Sookie moved her hand up his thigh and cupped him a moment before exploring the length of him. Eric closed his eyes and his breath caught at her touch.

"I think I can live with that," he said.

"That's good because I'm a very greedy girl," Sookie replied.

She pulled him beside her and looked over him as he was displayed in all his naked goodness. Gah, he was just so dreamy. She didn't loose her head over just anyone, but she felt like she could spend hours in contemplation of the way the light caught the natural highlights in his hair or how his eyes seemed to change color depending on the light in the room. She reclined beside him and trailed her fingers over his chest. They moved across the muscles and planes of his body.

"I'm thinking that I should just chain you to the bed and keep you here so that I can gaze on you all the time," she said.

"Just look?" asked Eric.

"Well, maybe, I could touch you a little," said Sookie.

"Just a little?" asked Eric.

"I might kiss you once in a while," said Sookie.

"Only once in a while?" asked Eric.

"Who am I kidding?" replied Sookie. "I would be jumping your bones every minute."

"Suddenly, being your prisoner sounds more appealing," said Eric with a smile.

"I thought you might enjoy at least some part of that captivity," asked Sookie.

"Hmmm, sign me up for that," replied Eric.

"That can be arranged," said Sookie. "I am in possession of my very own personal dungeon."

"Should I be scared?" asked Eric.

"Only if you want to hold onto that innocence," said Sookie. "Because I have serious designs on you."

She kissed him and felt his arms move around her. He pulled her into him and he thought how her body seemed to fit perfectly against him. Her body was so different from his with it's softness and curves. He passed his hands over her and he felt as if he wanted to explore all those differences until he knew them as well as the back of his own hand. He passed his hands through her long hair and he could smell the clean scent of her shampoo. He began to slip off the top of her nightgown since it wasn't fair that he was the only one in his birthday suit. Freed from her top, her breasts beckoned him. He quickly found that it was much more of a pleasant experience to suck on them without her the interference of her clothing and he didn't look like such an idiot. Sookie arched against his lips and moaned, giving him the confidence that he was doing it right. Her hands caressed his hair and her body moved closer to his. He moved to her other breast and wondered at how soft and yet firm they felt. Everything was going great until he felt her move slightly away from him. She returned back to his lips and kissed him with a greater intensity. She then pulled away and looked at him with eyes that seemed almost black in the dim light of her room. Before his startled eyes, she dropped her fangs and bit into the palm of her hand. Before he could react, she reached down and rubbed her blood over his dick, coating it in a red film.

"What are you doing?" he asked, nervously.

He tried to pull away, but she had an ironclad grip on him. He wanted to be grossed out, but her stroking fingers only excited him. With wide eyes, he looked down to see that the blood seemed to have rubbed into his skin or something because only a trace of it remained visible. She leaned over and kissed him and he could taste her blood on her lips. It made her lips taste even sweeter and his tongue couldn't stop from licking the remaining traces off them.

"It will give you greater control, since this is your first time," said Sookie, still caressing him in her hand.

Already, he felt as if it were on fire. His cock seemed to jump into her hand as if it were an eager puppy begging for her touch. Eric felt as if his dick had committed mutiny and now chose to answer to a new master. He felt as it her touch was going to cause him to burst and that the only relief lay in that uncharted territory between her legs. From that spot of warm intensity between his legs, the warmth in his blood seemed to be spreading, until his entire body was alive with the sensation of a dizzying heat. Sookie had brought this fire into being and he knew that only she could extinguish it. His heartbeat grew elevated and the blood coursing through his body seemed to whisper a name to him. Sookie, it said, over and over. Was he going mad? He closed his eyes and twisted under her touch as his body yearned to join with hers with a drive that was so primal and savage that it scared him.

"Are you ready?" asked Sookie.

In answer, Eric moved and ripped off her teddy. Her panties came off in the same manner as he moved aggressively between her thighs. Sookie wasn't shocked by this display and smiled as she pulled him in closer. And then, he was inside of her. He froze for a moment as he tried to comprehend the multitude of sensations that gripped him. He had forgotten to breathe again and his lungs gasped desperately for air. It felt as if the world was revolving around the tip of his cock. Time was standing still and he was sure that his heart had forgotten how to beat. The world contained only Sookie and him and this moment. Two bodies joined as one. Then, his heart beat and the sound signaled him into movement. Moving into her was like sliding into silk. He closed his eyes and let his body take the lead. Touching her wasn't enough. He needed to possess her. To mark her as his and that need drove him to take what he wanted from her and to demonstrate that, at least, in this arena he was her master. He thought that he was dominating her and that he was being selfish as he moved with a renewed vigor. But, she only pulled him in tighter and arched her body against his.

"Yes," she gasped. "Harder, my sweet Viking."

He gave everything that she asked for and more. He never wanted to stop and, the way that his body felt at this moment, he didn't think he would have to.

IV

Meanwhile, a desperate Jason made his way to the entrance of Fangtasia. He had tried to resist, but his body needed a hit of V so badly that it ached. That need had consumed him to the point that he couldn't think of anything else. Since, Lafayette wouldn't sell him any more that left him with few options. So, here he was in the only place that he knew that vampires and their blood were. Jason eyed the blonde vampire at the entrance. She was wearing a tiny, tight black dress and her long blonde hair fell down to her shoulders. Well, he thought, if she was any indication of the vampires that were inside, maybe his little brother could be excused for giving up the goods for one.

"ID," said Pam, dryly.

Jason handed it to her with a hello, which Pam chose to ignore. But, as she read the name on the driver's license, she gave him a more thorough inspection. Northman was a name that she knew all too well these days.

"Northman? Are you any relation to Eric Northman?" she asked.

"Yes, he's my brother," said Jason. "How do you know him?"

Pam almost said that her maker was fucking him right at this moment, but decided to err on the side of caution. "He stands out. Do you?"

"Me? Stand out? No, I mean, maybe," said Jason, nervously.

Pam narrowed her eyes as she examined him. Before his wide-eyes, she dropped her fangs with a snick and began to glamour him.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I want some vampire blood," said Jason. "When do you get off?"

"You want my blood?" said Pam with a frown. "Dream on, silly little human."

Jason swallowed and Pam severed the connection. "You're nothing like your brother," she said.

Pam moved aside and added, "Come in."

Jason nervously ran his hands over the front of his jeans as if the palms of his hands were sweaty and moved inside. As he was passing by, Pam leaned into his ear.

"Good luck getting out," she said.

She turned and watched him. Besides some blonde good looks, he was nothing like his brother. Still the fact that Eric's brother was a V user was something that Sookie might want to know. Along with who exactly he was seen with. Pam signaled to a bouncer inside and left him out in front as she wandered inside to observe the goings on. Even though this brother lacked the specialness that had caught her maker's eyes, a part of her brain wondered whether Eric's brother would taste anywhere near as good as Sookie had thought that Eric would. Of course, by now, Sookie had no doubt sank her fangs into him and found out for herself just how yummy he was. Pam filed away her curiosity about Jason's blood. Someday the opportunity might just present itself when he would be at her mercy. Just the thought of that caused a little smile on her face.

Jason meandered around the bar like a fish out of water. Dressed in cowboy jeans and a western shirt, he stood out from the other patrons. His growing need for V was making him jittery and he was developing nervous twitches that he couldn't control. He sat at the bar and ordered a beer. He drank it down in a matter of minutes and the bartender appeared before him and asked if he wanted another.

"Maybe, something stronger," said Jason.

"We got whiskey, gin or tequila," said Longshadow.

"No, I mean something stronger than that," hinted Jason.

"We got some stuff that is so strong that it will take the lining off your stomach," said Longshadow.

"No, I mean, something that you, vampires, have," said Jason.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about," said Longshadow in aggravation.

"He's with me," said a voice from behind Jason. "Come on, sweetheart, we have a table right over there."

Jason turned to see a pretty girl with dark, curly hair who was carrying a humongous fabric purse. He shrugged off her hands and turned back to Longshadow.

"I know that you know what I'm talking about," he said.

"I'm sorry, " said the girl. "He's had one too many."

She pulled him out of the bar stool and dragged him over to the table. He finally got free of her hands, but she grabbed him by the shirt.

"I've got what you want right in here," she said, as she clutched her purse.

"You mean the Vaah-" he began, before she cut him off.

"Shhh, they can hear really, really good," she said in a whisper.

"Do you really have it?" asked Jason.

She nodded and Jason said, "Alright, then, let's get out of here."

She rolled her eyes and got up and dragged him to the exit as Jason asked, "What's your name?"

"Amy Burly," she replied.

Pam had watched the entire encounter. Her keen vampire ears had followed their conversation and she filed away Amy's name and face in her vault. Humans, she mused, they just weren't very smart.

V

Sookie softly petted her exhausted Viking. He had performed even better than she had ever hoped. He still blindly nuzzled her breast as if refusing to be still and rest. Her blood had given his some extra zing, but she was sure that even on his own he would be far better than average. For hours, they had engaged in sex. He had been like a wild thing between her legs, beautiful and untamed. He was unbelievably passionate and he engaged in sex with total abandon and with no other thought that just enjoying the moment. It was refreshingly like a vampire and it made them even more compatible.

She ran her fingers through his soft hair as he sighed in contentment. After a moment, he looked up at her. His blue eyes were wide and they searched hers.

"It was good for you, wasn't it?" he asked her.

"Couldn't you tell?" asked Sookie with a smile.

"I know that women can fake it," said Eric.

"There wasn't any faking going on from me," said Sookie. "All those moans, sighs and screams were all 100% real and due to you."

Eric smiled and squeezed her tightly. She petted him and kissed him softly on the lips. She held his chin gently in her hand and asked, "Are you happy? Was it everything that you hoped it would be?"

"It couldn't have been any better," said Eric. He smiled and added, "Are you going to be moving on to the next virgin to deflower, now?"

"As tempting at that might sound," said Sookie. "I think that I will hold onto you for a long time."

"You'd better," said Eric.

"Are you saying that you want to stay with me?" asked Sookie.

"At least, until I learn how to become an expert at sex," said Eric with a grin. "Then, I just might move on and spread the love."

Sookie reached down his long body and spanked his rear. "If I invest all that time and energy into teaching you all that I know, you can rest assured that you aren't getting away from me."

"Promise?" asked Eric, leaning in to kiss her lips.

Sookie kissed him deeply back and whispered in his ear, "You. Are. Mine."

**A/N: **I still think that Sookie and Eric are cute, even if Sookie was a little devious about her blood. Now, she didn't want him to be coerced into being with her. But once she was sure that he was there of his own free will, all bets were off. I would expect that her blood would be absorbed directly through his skin into the bloodstream and with the amount that he licked off her lips I think he probably got a pretty good dose. Please, remember that she is a vampire in the way that she looks on relationships. I also thought that their sex would be of the primal, passionate kind rather than hearts and flowers, but that's me.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Godric and Sookie have a little talk and there is a little flashback in there as well. The town is gearing up for Lorena's talk with The Descendants of the Glorious Dead, but that will probably be happening next chapter.

Chapter 9

I

Godric softly knocked at Sookie's hotel room. She opened it wearing nothing but a plush hotel robe and a smug, satisfied little smile. He wondered if his child would ever change. But, he doubted that she had come across anything like this boy before. He remembered how he had first met her. He often followed on the fringes of conflict and war. There was always an easy meal to be found among the dying and vanquished. But, he hadn't expected to find a royal niece to the king in those ranks. He had come across what he thought was a lone soldier. The human was older with gray in his beard, but he was well equipped and comported himself as a trained man-at-arms. But, all his training was no match for Godric. Before he engaged Godric, he called out in his native tongue. Godric had assumed that he was uttering a war cry at the time. He gave the human credit for he bravely moved against him and wielded a large double-headed axe at him, a prize no doubt liberated from one of his Viking victims. Godric simply shifted out of the way and struck. The force of the blow caused the human to lose his footing and no sooner had he hit that ground than Godric was upon him. He sank his fangs into his neck and began to drain him. His attention was distracted and that was when a sword blade sliced through his back. Even though he healed, the pain was excruciating and he let go of his victim with a cry. He was lucky that it was just an iron sword that had skewered him and not a wooden stake. He pulled his body off the blade and turned to face this new foe. He saw a youth who was smaller than he was. His garments were torn and bloody, but even with the grime covering them, he could see that they were fine silk. He was probably this soldier's royal page, thought Godric. The youth was armed with a smaller than normal sword that must have been custom-made for him. A protective helm covered his head and concealed his face. But, nothing could conceal the steady flow of blood from a deep wound on his upper chest. It coursed down his pretty silk tunic and stained it black in the moonlight. Godric had seen enough battle wounds to know that it was mortal. But, it was always the weak and undeserving who paid the price for human folly, he thought. Godric could, at least, put a quick end to the youth's suffering. Without warning, the youth switched the blade into the hand on his good side and rushed him. He was surprised and only ducked his head out of the way at the last second. As the blade passed over where his head had just been with a whoosh, he realized that this page had more training than he had thought. In a flurry of blows, the youth sliced at him from every angle and managed to deliver some glancing blows upon his body. The youth stopped his onslaught as his strength betrayed him and he desperately fought for each ragged breath. His head came up as he saw Godric's wounds heal themselves.

"Demon," came a childlike voice.

He toppled to his knees and held onto his sword that he sunk into the cold ground to keep him aloft. He didn't beg for his life and he watched Godric step to him. Godric bared his fangs and took hold of the youth's chin. With his other hand, he slipped off his helmet. He needed access to the youth's tender throat and he wanted to see the face of such a brave opponent. Long, blonde hair cascaded down and Godric was stunned as he gazed into the pretty face of a human girl.

"You're a girl," he said.

"How very perceptive of you," she replied.

"What is a royal lady doing out here in battle dress?" he had asked.

"It doesn't matter, now," she said. "It's finished."

"The man?" asked Godric.

"My bodyguard," she said.

Now, Godric realized that the human man had called out to warn her away and that he had attacked him as a diversion to enable this girl to get away. But, she couldn't run from her fate and Godric watched as her life force slowly drained away.

"Do you want to die?" asked Godric.

She looked up at him with fierce brown eyes. "It doesn't matter what I want, I know the wound is mortal," she said.

Godric ran his hand down her fair hair. It felt like the softest fleece. She was not what he had come here looking for on this dark and bloody battlefield, but here she was. He had been moved by her courage even before he found out that she was a member of the supposedly weaker sex. She was a rarity among women and he found that he didn't want to see her pass from this world.

"If I offered you the chance to live, would you be my companion and wander the world with me?" he asked. "I would teach you all that I know."

"Would I be as you are?" she asked.

"Yes," said Godric.

"I would be powerful?" she asked.

"Stronger than any human," replied Godric. "Is that important to you?"

"Yes," she replied. "I seek….seek-"

Her strength, at last, gave up on her and Godric eased her to the ground. The time was running out if he was to turn her. He stared down into her pained eyes and asked, "What is it that you seek?"

"Vengence," she gasped. "Can you give me the means to attain that?"

"Yes," said Godric.

He bared his fangs and sank them in her throat. Godric pushed away these memories and turned and faced his companion through all the centuries that they had shared together since that moment on that battlefield.

"The boy?" he asked.

"Sleeping," replied Sookie. "He's all tuckered out."

Godric eyed her a moment, but she refused to show a smidgeon of guilt. He knew that she had manipulated the boy into a sexual relationship, just as he was sure that she would have sealed that tryst with her blood.

"Do you have any idea why the Queen and her procurer are interested in him?" asked Godric.

"He's smart enough to keep his mouth shut as to why he's so special," said Sookie. "However, I have other means of finding out things."

Godric was sure that she did. She had been reared at a royal court and knew all about intrigue and underhanded dealings. "Well?" he asked.

"He's a mind-reader," said Sookie.

"That is unusual," replied Godric.

"I have also found out something else from my little dalliance with him," said Sookie. "He tastes like no human I've ever had before."

As Godric mulled over this information, she added, "Does any of this ring any bells?"

"I need to go through some ancient texts," he said. "But, no, I don't have any experience first-hand with something like this."

"It's also hereditary," said Sookie. "His grandfather was the same way, from the town gossip."

"Interesting."

"Will you keep the boy safe if I ever need to hide him away?" she asked after a moment.

"Are you saying that you care for him?" asked Godric.

"He's somehow important, that's all," replied Sookie.

"If you say so," said Godric with a small smile.

"I have no idea of what you are getting at," said Sookie.

Godric continued to stare at her with an amused gaze. "He's not my first rodeo," said Sookie. "This is me that we are talking about."

"Pride goeth before the fall," replied Godric.

Sookie smoothed her robe with a nervous hand. "Okay, I'll admit that he's adorable, if you're into that sort of thing, of course."

"And you're not, I gather?" asked Godric.

"Not in the least," replied Sookie.

Godric continued to stare at her and she hissed, "So, I like him. It's very hard not to, but I'm the one in complete control."

"He doesn't look so easy to control to me," said Godric.

"I like a little bit of spirit," replied Sookie.

"Oh, I think that you'll get that," said Godric. "You might just get more than you bargained for."

Sookie smiled and moved to her maker. "Are you gleefully anticipating my downfall?" she asked.

Godric leaned in and kissed her forehead as his hand smoothed her hair. "It's about time that someone stole that cold heart of yours," he said.

They said their goodbyes and Sookie wandered back to her bedroom. Eric was camped out in her bed, still fast asleep. There was no escaping from him, unless she took his bed, she thought. He still looks so innocent, lying there with just crisp, white Egyptian cotton sheets over his naked body. His pretty face rested on a fluffy pillow and his almond-shaped eyes were closed, hiding away their unique color that reminded her of glacial ice in the sunshine. Only a well-formed arm and a hint of his chest were visible, for even in his sleep, he seemed to cover up in modesty. A body that beautiful deserved to be seen and appreciated, she thought. She felt an urge to wake him and have him again. With her blood inside of him, he could perform the rest of the night. But, even with his limited knowledge, he would realize that such behavior was not normal. She hadn't quite informed him of all the effects that her blood would have on him. A little omission. And it was too late to do anything about it, now, anyway. What was done was done. He was bound to her and she didn't have any plans of letting him off the hook. She slipped into bed beside him and her movements caused him to instinctively reach for her body without waking. As his arm moved over her and the warmth of his body seeped into hers, she thought that she could get used to this. He snuggled closer and molded his body against hers. He was still asleep, but he spoke one word out loud.

"Sookie."

She felt a shiver run down her spine. She wasn't sure, but her heart just might have warmed up a few degrees.

II

Eric was working behind the bar on Monday afternoon when he saw Jason come in during his lunch break. As usual, Rene and Hoyt were with him. They were in the work clothes and were dusty and thirsty. Jason left the table and came to the bar to get a pitcher of beer.

As Eric filled it, Jason said, "I came over to see you this weekend."

"Oh, I was….out," replied Eric.

"Out, huh?" asked Jason.

Eric didn't reply and Jason leaned in and whispered, "I know that you were out getting laid, little brother."

Eric looked up in surprise, which he tried to conceal. But, Jason reached out a finger and pulled aside his collar to reveal Sookie's delicate fang marks on his throat. Eric shoved Jason's hand away and rearranged his shirt collar.

"That's private," said Eric.

"Oh, come on," replied Jason. "Of all people, I'm not going to judge you."

Eric still said nothing and sat down the pitcher of beer for Jason.

"So, how was it?" asked Jason.

Eric looked embarrassed and he looked down, causing Jason to assume something else. "Don't worry about your first time. Every guy goes off after just a few seconds his first time, it's natural. You'll get better."

Eric looked up with a puzzled expression and he both wanted to talk about the experience and he didn't want to at the same time. But, he thought, he had certainly lasted longer than a few seconds. Was that abnormal?

"So, when am I going to meet this lucky girl?" asked Jason.

"She's not exactly a girl," replied Eric.

"No shit," said Jason. "But, if I know my little brother, she'll be back for more."

Jason gave him a knowing wink and sauntered back over to his crew. That was when Tara decided to butt into his affairs after listening in on his and Jason's conversation. Maybe, he should have taken out an advertisement in the paper and announced that he had been deflowered for all of Bon Temps to read. Surely, with the lack of excitement in this town that might have made front page news, he thought.

"Oh my God," said Tara. "You didn't, not with that vampire."

"That isn't really anyone's business but mine," said Eric, trying to turn away.

"Did that vampire coerce you into sex and letting her bite you?" demanded Tara.

"There was no coercion," said Eric. "If you insist on knowing more than is decent."

"Those vampires can fuck with your head and make you do whatever they want," insisted Tara. "You don't even realize it at the time."

"I don't think that would work on me," replied Eric.

"Are you sure?" asked Tara. "How do you know that they haven't put some kind of vampire voodoo spell on you?"

"Sookie wouldn't do that," said Eric.

"Who the hell is Sookie?" demanded Tara. "Just how many vampires do you have circling you like vultures?"

Eric sighed and said, "At least, they don't try to make me feel dirty."

Tara reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry. That is not my intention."

"I know that you don't approve, but it was not what you think it was. It was special to me," he said. "Please, don't cheapen it for me."

"Just be careful, okay?" said Tara.

"Aren't I always?" replied Eric.

"Not nearly careful enough," said Tara. "I feel like calling Gran and having her lock you up in your room until you're forty."

Eric smiled and Tara added, "Of course, knowing you, you'll probably only grow better looking. Are you going to The Descendants of the Glorious Dead special meeting tonight?"

"Yes, I have to help Gran set things up tonight at the church," he said.

"I'll come by and lend a hand," she said.

"I'll see you there," he replied.

She gave him another smile and watched him moved to the back to retrieve some supplies from the storage room. Once he was out of sight, her smile faltered as she worried about her best friend.

III

Jason arrived home after work to find Amy vigorously cleaning the kitchen. Her movements were jerky and an almost hidden rage seemed to simmer below her exterior. He certainly hadn't asked her to clean his house. He was tired from working on the road crew all day and didn't want to have to tiptoe around Amy all evening. She was a great girl and the sex was incredible, but he didn't sign on for this. If it upset her so much staying home all day, maybe it was time to find her a job to keep her occupied. Sam always needed help, especially with Dawn's murder, which was still unsolved. He was tired of everyone still looking at him sideways. Why can't Bud and Andy find the real killer by now?

"Hey, I missed you today," he said, moving close to her.

Amy flung a dirty washcloth into the sink and stepped away from him. "What's the matter," he asked.

"I need some V," said Amy. "We used the last of my stuff last night."

"That's a problem," replied Jason. "Lafayette won't sell me any."

"Well, where does he get his supply?" asked Amy.

"He doesn't exactly confide that information with me," replied Jason.

"There's a simple way to find out," said Amy.

"How?"

"We follow him. Sooner or later, he will lead us to the vampire who is supplying him," said Amy.

"And just exactly what do you plan on doing when you find that out?" asked Jason.

"We make a deal with the vampire and cut out the middleman," said Amy.

"I don't know," replied Jason.

Amy pulled him in close and kissed him. "You remember how it was for us that first time, don't you?"

Jason put his hands on her hips. "How could I ever forget that?"

"We need this," said Amy. "We deserve it."

"I know where Lafayette will be this evening," said Jason. "At the meeting with almost the entire town."

"Then, that's where we will be, too," said Amy. "Just trust me, I know what to do."

**A/N: **I liked Godric and Sookie's first meeting. It was close to how Godric and Eric first met, although a little different for Sookie's past. I think Godric just might be a Sookie/Eric shipper.

Now, it's so weird to write, but I do enjoy these Tara and Eric scenes. They are so wrong in the normal True Blood universe, but so right in this story, lol.

Amy was a complex character. I personally thought that she was a psychopath on True Blood and we are starting to see a little of her darkness come to the surface.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Lorena's talk with the Descendants of the Glorious Dead is in here. Along with what happened after that. More notes at the end.

Chapter 10

Eric looked out upon the packed crowd in the First Baptist Church of Bon Temps. He and Tara were setting out several extra rows of folding chairs to accommodate the crowd. As he worked, he could hear some of the random thoughts that were flying out.

_I can't believe Adele brought that demon's seed into the Lord's house. I thought that she was a Christian woman._

_I've never even seen a vampire this close, but I've heard that she's pretty._

_Are we safe from her? Everyone seems to be forgetting that she is a vampire._

_Shameful, just shameful. But, I wouldn't have missed it._

Eric sought to shut them out and he was surprised to find that he was moderately successful. It helped to think of something else, he found. After setting up the chairs, he moved to the church's little kitchen and began to arrange the food, since like any Southern gathering, food was involved. With Tara's help, they made quick work of it and were rewarded by a kiss from Adele.

"I could have never gotten everything ready in time without you two," she said, beaming at them.

"Oh, it was no trouble," said Tara.

"You two run along and grab a seat before they are all gone," said Adele.

Coming back into the sanctuary, Eric paused and looked out over the pews. Tara tugged at his arm and pointed to a row close to the front.

"Look, Jason is here," she said.

She pulled him up to the row and Jason noticed them. "Hey, Eric, Tara," he said. "Um, this is Amy."

Tara raised an eyebrow and said, "Hi."

"Oh, you must be Jason's brother and his friend," said Amy. "Isn't this just like the typical small town little church?"

"This is a small town and we're in a church, so I guess so," said Tara, with a slight eye roll.

Eric gripped her hand and leaned in. "Be nice, I know it's hard," he whispered.

But, Eric began giving Amy an intense study and as he stared at her for several long seconds, Jason finally figured out what he was doing.

"Whoa, quit it, right now," he said. "Family is off-limits."

"What are you talking about?" asked Amy, curiously.

"It's nothing," replied Jason. "Is it little brother?"

"Of course," said Eric. "So, Amy, where are you from?"

"Oh, everywhere, I guess," she answered, ambiguously.

Jason put his arm over Amy's shoulder and said, "Amy and I are serious. Understand?"

"Crystal," replied Eric, turning away.

Jason leaned into Amy's ear and whispered, "He does that to everyone. He likes you, I can tell."

It was then that Adele moved to the front and faced the crowd.

"I can't remember when we have ever had such a large turnout for a Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting before," she said. "But, we've never had such an interesting guest speaker before. I just want to say that Ms. Lorena Compton is one of our own. She was one of our founding residents and I hope everyone joins me in welcoming her back to Bon Temps," she said.

Lorena moved to the front of the room. She was dressed in an elegant black and white dress that skimmed her figure. With her hair pinned up in a classic hairstyle and a simple pearl necklace, she looked very conservative and classy. She knows how to dress for her audience, thought Eric. Lorena addressed Adele, "Thank you, Mrs. Northman."

She then turned to where someone had covered up a cross on the altar with a flag. She removed it and exposed the cross to the stunned crowd. As she was replacing the flag on a stand, Hoyt Fortenberry moved up and took over the chore. She again faced the crowd.

"As you can see, I didn't burst into flames," she said with a little smile.

There was a resulting collective chuckle from the crowd and Lorena continued, "Just like any of God's creatures, vampires can enter churches or touch crosses. It's one myth that I am more than happy to dispel."

"You lived here in Bon Temps during the Civil War?" asked Mrs. Fortenberry.

"Yes," said Lorena. "I lived in the old Compton home then, but it wasn't old at that time."

"Were you married?" she asked.

"Yes, my husband was in the 28th Infantry out of Monroe, like most of the men from Bon Temps," replied Lorena.

"Did he live through the war?" asked another.

"Yes, but I…I was already a vampire by the time that he came home," replied Lorena.

"What happened?" asked Maxine Fortenberry.

There was a long pause and Adele piped up, "I believe that is personal and we shouldn't expect Ms. Compton to answer that."

"I would offer a hot meal and a place to stay in the barn to the soldiers that passed through this town," said Lorena. "Most of them were just young boys who had never even been away from home before. I could always tell the ones who had seen fighting from the fresh ones, since their eyes had a haunted look that seemed to burn a hole in my heart. I want to say that war is nothing glorious. It's just young boys and men who are fighting and dying before their time. And, it's their grieving families whose sadness and loss are never forgotten."

There was a hushed silence in the room as no one disputed her opinion. Lorena continued on in a wavering voice, "But, one night one of the soldiers that I offered my kindness to turned out to be a vampire. Those were different times back then. Vampires survived the only way that they could, as I learned once I became one myself."

"Were you turned against your will?" asked Maxine.

"I loved my husband and children, as any of you here do," said Lorena. "What do you think?"

"Couldn't you have stayed with your family?"

"No, that was impossible," replied Lorena. "Any family caught harboring a vampire would have been severely dealt with. I would have put them in danger."

There was such a long pause after that statement that the meeting seemed to be over. Yet, Adele stepped forward and asked another question.

"Can you tell us what life was like back in Bon Temps during the war?" she asked.

"Well, I can tell you that the women of this town were made of sturdy material. Without able-bodied men around, the women soon discovered that they were capable of doing just about anything. We banded together and helped each other out. If someone needed help with her crops or animals, we would lend a hand and get the job done. We learned how to shoe horses, plow fields, mend fences and made all kinds of repairs around the house. The local midwife, Mrs. Roberts, saw to everyone's needs since the town doctor was conscripted into military service," said Lorena.

A voice from the back of the room asked, "What do you think of the Great Revelation?"

"Since the Civil War, I have lived a life in the shadows," said Lorena. "Not having to pretend anymore, is a freedom that none of you can understand."

Lorena looked out over the crowd and didn't hear any other questions. "I want to thank you for allowing to come and speak tonight. Hopefully, I might have dispelled some myths and, perhaps, you might be more inclined to see that vampires are not that different from yourselves. I was once one of you, long ago. Someday, I would like to be included among your ranks again."

To applause, Lorena stepped to the side and Adele once more addressed the crowd. "I want everyone to know that there is plenty of punch and tipsy cake for everyone."

Eric with Tara in tow made his way to Lorena. She gave Eric a smile.

"How did I do?" she asked.

"I think that you've won over the entire town," he said.

"Not everyone," she said, which caused Eric to drop his eyes. "But, I think that they went easy on me. It must have been the promise of free food that put everyone in such a good mood."

Her eyes fell on his neck where the collar of his shirt allowed just enough of a glimpse of his neck for her to see a fading set of fang marks. Her smile disappeared and her eyes darkened.

"Well, she didn't waste any time, did she?" she said. "But, she's like that. She takes what she wants."

"I don't see what business that is of yours," said Tara, putting her hands on her hips.

"I guess that it isn't," said Lorena. "I know that you won't listen to me, but you don't have any idea of what she is capable of."

Tara pulled Eric away and said, "Come on, we can come back later on and help clean up. It's getting kind of stuffy in here."

They found their way to Merlott's and Eric passed his eyes over the bar. Rene was sitting with Hoyt and having a beer while Arlene was doing her shift. Jason and Amy must have gone back home since they didn't show up. He remembered how guarded Amy had been when he had stared at her. It wasn't a normal response and her mind had been a blank. He was sure that she did that on purpose. Had Jason already told her about his little quirk?

It was then his phone vibrated with a new text message: _I want to CU tonite, S._

He gave a little smile and typed back: _sure. _

"Is that vampire texting you?" asked Tara.

"She has a name," replied Eric.

"Aren't you moving a little fast?" asked Tara. "Why don't you just chill for a little while and see someone else?"

"Don't start," replied Eric. "This is like my first real girlfriend. Don't spoil for me."

"That's what I mean, you're already going steady with the first….girl that you've ever had any serious contact with," said Tara. "Don't you want to see what else is out there?"

"You mean be like Jason?" asked Eric.

"That's going to the other extreme," replied Tara, with a little smile. "There's plenty of ground in the middle for you to check out. She doesn't own you, you know."

Eric was silent and made a design in the condensation of his beer glass. Tara placed her hand over his and said, "Just think about it."

Eric finally arrived home. He and Tara had returned to the church and send Adele home while they did the cleaning up for her. As he arrived home, he noticed that the lights were off. Gran usually stayed up and waited for him, but maybe she was tired and had gone to bed early. He walked around the back entrance and found the dog whining and running to and fro on the end of the chain. When he wasn't there to watch him outside, Gran sometimes put him on the chain since she didn't want him to run away. But, she always brought him in before bedtime.

"Hey, Buddy, did Gran forget about you?" he asked.

The dog lifted his head and trotted to him. He began to excitedly bark. Eric wasn't sure, but it didn't sound like a happy bark and something caused a feeling of unease to come over him. As he unhooked the dog, it raced to the screen door and began to scratch furiously at it as he made several high-pitched barks. Eric pushed the dog back and entered alone. As he fumbled for the kitchen light switch, he slipped in something wet on the floor. He turned on the light to see a scene of horror that he couldn't even comprehend. He stared for several seconds as the dog continued to attack the screen door and bark. Gran was lying on the kitchen floor dressed in a old-fashioned white nightgown, but the blood on her and on the floor told a story of a vicious attack. There were cast off splatters on the walls and cabinets from whatever weapon had been used on his grandmother. Gran was lying in a fetal position as if she had been trying to protect her vulnerable midsection. Several bloody gashes were visible on her back and she lay in a pool of blood. Eric wanted to speak or scream, but all the air had left his lungs at the sight before him.

Finally, he managed to say, "Oh, Gran."

With the dog barking like crazy, Eric sank to his knees by his grandmother. He heard a slight yelp and Lorena appeared in the kitchen. His mind puzzled over how this was. How did she know to come here? And, how was she inside the house? Then, he remembered that Adele had invited her over to discuss the meeting earlier in the week.

"Eric, what happened?" she asked.

"Someone killed my Gran," he began to sob.

He touched Adele's shoulder and suddenly her body shook from a spasm and, with a gasp, she coughed and expelled a bloody froth from her mouth.

"Gran!" cried Eric. "She needs help right now."

He tried to lift her head onto his lap and Lorena said, "I can't think straight with that dog. He's gone crazy."

"Buddy," called Eric. "Be silent."

The dog stopped barking, although he whined from the back door. Eric lifted haunted blue eyes to Lorena, but then his eyes moved to the door as someone else joined them. Sookie walked past the dog and came inside.

"Eric, are you alright? Is any of this blood yours?" she asked, as she moved forward and knelt beside him.

"No, it's all Gran's blood. Somebody tried to kill her," he gasped out with difficulty.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Sookie to Lorena.

"I heard the dog barking like crazy," she said.

Eric pressed his hands to Adele's back and attempted to stop the flow of blood. Sookie moved quickly and picked up some cast off kitchen towels that she snatched from the counter. She once again knelt beside him.

"Let me see," she said.

"We need to call an ambulance," replied Eric.

Sookie quickly looked over his grandmother's wounds. She saw several deep stab wounds that had hit vital organs, such as her lungs. The bloody froth on Adele's lips was proof that a lung had been punctured. Eric's grandmother was rapidly drowning in her own blood.

Sookie said, "She won't live long enough to get to the hospital."

Eric began to sob, "No, no, no."

He began to pet her hair, but Adele was too far gone to notice. He bowed his head and his body began to shake from his sobs. Sookie reached out her hand and lifted his chin so that she could look into his tear-stained eyes.

"It will be alright," she said.

"How is my Gran dying alright?" cried Eric. "She's almost the only family I have left. I can't lose her, too. Not like this."

Sookie brushed her hand through his hair and said, "Then, you won't."

She let go of Eric and dropped her fangs. She bit her wrist and placed it to Adele's lips and let her blood flow into her mouth. Eric stared with wide eyes and clutched his grandmother tightly. He watched as Adele swallowed and began to drink from Sookie's wrist. Before his eyes, his grandmother came back to life. The cuts on her body closed without a trace of their former damage. Finally, Sookie gently removed her wrist, as Adele opened her eyes.

"My stars," she said. "I thought that I died."

"Not quite," replied Sookie with a little smile.

Eric pulled his grandmother to him and ran his hands over her face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I….I've never felt better," she said, with wonder.

Eric eased her to her feet and held onto her, but she was steady. It was a miracle. He knew that she was dying and now she was full of life. How was that possible? Somehow, Sookie had saved his grandmother with her blood.

"Do you need to go the hospital?" asked Eric.

"No, I'm fine," said Gran, with a smile. "I'm really fine."

"Let's you to the bathroom and let you clean up," said Eric.

As he moved away with his grandmother, Sookie turned to Lorena.

"You're telling me that a barking dog brought you over here?" she demanded.

"The nights are quiet out here in the country," said Lorena. "I live just across the cemetery from this house."

"Did you see anyone else?" asked Sookie.

"No," replied Lorena.

"Very well," said Sookie. "You may go. But, don't say anything to anyone, understand?"

Lorena moved to the door, but the dog lunged at the screen door and growled at her. She dropped her fangs in anger.

"Isn't that a little over-reactive?" asked Sookie.

"That animal is crazy," hissed Lorena.

"They are smarter than you think," replied Sookie. "You just have to show them who's the boss."

Sookie turned to the dog and said, "Sit."

The dog obediently sat on his haunches and Lorena walked outside with a dirty look. Sookie opened the screen door and the dog trotted inside. He went upstairs as if on a mission. Eric appeared in the doorway. He was still in shock, but Sookie wanted the details.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Gran said that she was in the kitchen and the lights went out. Before she could reach the lights switch, someone attacked from behind. She just remembers trying to fight him off before she lost consciousness," said Eric.

"So, she didn't see her attacker?" asked Sookie.

Eric shook his head no. "We should call the police," he said.

"There is a problem with that," replied Sookie.

"What kind of problem?" asked Eric.

"They will ask how Gran is healed without a mark on her," said Sookie. "From the blood loss evident in this kitchen, she should have been dead or critically injured."

"But, she was," replied Eric.

"That's the problem. She was critically injured and now she isn't," said Sookie.

"Oh," said Eric, finally comprehending.

"The fact vampire blood can heal is a secret that we don't want the general public to know," said Sookie.

"I understand," replied Eric. "But, what about this person who tried to murder my grandmother? Am I just to forget that happened?"

"Of course not," said Sookie. "I will investigate the matter, myself."

"Gran is lying down with Buddy by her bed," said Eric. "But, she wanted me to thank you for her."

"I didn't do it for her," said Sookie. "I did it for you."

Eric hesitated only a second and then stepped to her and wrapped his arms around her. Sookie was stunned for a moment, but she slipped her hands around his waist. His warm breath came in her ear, "I can't even begin to express what I'm feeling. Somehow the words thank you are just not enough."

He moved and kissed her. Suddenly, the closeness of her was overpowering and he kissed her with a longing that perhaps wasn't appropriate given the current circumstances. He pulled away, but he was breathing hard and he looked into her eyes.

"You should let your kisses do the talking for you," said Sookie with a smile.

She pulled away and pulled out a cell phone. "Hello, Pam," she said. "I want you to arrange someone to watch over the Northmans tomorrow. I'll stay the rest of the night."

She hung up the phone and turned to Eric. "You've got me all to yourself until almost dawn," she said.

She gave him a wink and then checked all the doors and windows and made sure that everything was securely locked. She had not seen any signs of forced entry, but that was probably because none of the doors were locked to begin with. Eric's grandmother had been an easy target, but why would anyone attack her? Nothing appeared to have disturbed in the house, so robbery wasn't a motive. The attack on a relatively helpless old woman seemed vicious and unprovoked. What was going on in this little community? She had already been on her way here when she had felt Eric's fear and pain. She had shifted into an all out race as she thought that he was the one in danger. She climbed the stairs and found Eric watching his grandmother sleep. The dog lay on the floor at the foot of the bed and eyed her, but didn't move. It was curious that the dog was conveniently outside at the time. Whoever had attacked Adele had been watching her and waiting for the right moment, she thought.

"I'll stay with her," said Sookie. "Why don't you rest?"

Eric stared down as Adele peacefully slept. "Buddy will raise the alarm if anyone comes near her," he said.

Eric walked towards her and took her hand as he pulled her into his room. He closed the door and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't care if this is wrong right now or not," he said. "But, I need you."

He began to pull off her clothes and Sookie began tugging off his. In a trail of cast off clothes, they made it to his bed. He felt such a swirling of emotions that seemed too complicated for him to sort out, so he stopped trying. Maybe, being almost touched by the hand of death, made him want to engage in some act that made him feel alive in a primal way. He needed her in a way that seemed to possess him. They fell together on his bed and their bodies joined as if they had been made expressly for each other. She was beautiful in the act of making love with her tawny hair and pink-tipped breasts. She was sex and danger in a pretty blonde bottle and he couldn't resist her. Not that he wanted to, he thought, as he closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of feeling her move with him, both giving pleasure and taking it from him at the same time. When he threatened to make noises that were too loud for his sleeping grandmother, Sookie had whispered for him to bite her. As they moved closer to a climax, he groaned and bit into her shoulder. He knew that it had to hurt even if he didn't break the skin, but she moaned in response. The next moment, he was coming and he pulled her down against him. She bit him and everything went supernova. He was soaring and when he felt her come in his arms, he went even higher because she was with him. Only the two of them together could reach this place. He thrust deeply and sighed her name, even though he really wanted to shout it loudly.

Holding onto to her in his arms, he whispered, "I think that you're going to kill me if it gets any better than this."

"Don't worry," Sookie said with a smile. "I can revive you."

**A/N: **I always thought that it was curious that Adele's death sort of drove Sookie into Bill's arms. She had said she didn't want to see him any more and was even out on a date with Sam that night (although, it didn't work out very well). But, after Bill comforted her that night, she was back with him. I always thought that Adele's death served to isolated Sookie even further. I have to rewatch the rest of season one. But the method that she was killed was so different from the way that Rene usually killed that it didn't make sense to me. Plus, Rene knew that Sookie was out on a date with Sam that night since everyone at Merlott's knew that because Arlene blabbed it around. Plus, he and Arlene saw her and Sam at the meeting. If he knew she was out on a date that night, why would he go to her grandmother's house looking for her? And if Adele really was his target, why didn't he strangle her. He was surely strong enough to do that. Rene was also at Merlott's after that meeting with Jason and Hoyt. I was never totally convinced that Rene was the killer. I have left it ambiguous in this story. I think 'Buddy' just doesn't trust Lorena, lol. He senses her true nature, so to speak.

So, in my version, things didn't quite happen the same. We shall see how this plays out with Gran still in the picture.

Sookie is strengthening her hold over him in more than one way. But, she could have had more than just that reason for doing what she did. I still think that they are cute/hot together.

I added this note later so there wouldn't be an confusion about the little love scene. But, Eric just bit Sookie, he didn't break the skin. I didn't mention him tasting her blood, so I thought that it was clear. But, it was just a little love bite, lol. A nip, so to speak :)


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **It's hard to find time to write during the holidays, but I managed another chapter before xmas. A lot of things going on in here and the scene with Malcolm, Diane and Liam is different than it was on the show. But, this story is obviously AU. Anyone who has read some of my other stories where I base the story on a season of True Blood knows that I like to change things and make the story a little different because I think it makes it more interesting. Another author's note will follow this chapter.

To everyone who celebrates the holidays: Merry Christmas.

Chapter 11

"It's Eric, you and me, now"

Adele awoke to the feeling of someone petting her. Her eyes snapped open, but it was only Sookie. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down on her as her fingers trailed through her messy hair.

"I must look like a sight," said Adele.

"You look beautiful to me," said Sookie. "You must have been quite a looker in your youth."

Something in the way that Sookie looked at her bothered her and she began to sit up. But, Sookie put a hand on her shoulder and held her down. Those brown eyes focused on her.

"Don't run away because we have something important to discuss," said Sookie.

"Oh, what's that?" asked Adele.

'Us," said Sookie, with a smile.

"You mean you and Eric?" asked Adele.

"Eric, funny you should mention him," smiled Sookie.

Sookie's eyes moved past her and Adele turned her head. Eric was lying in bed beside her in the bed, but his chest was bare and she suspected more things than that were bare as well.

"Hey, Gran," he said mischievously.

"You see, it's Eric, you and me, now," said Sookie. "A little happy family."

Sookie bent down and kissed her cheek. She hovered closely to Adele who felt an irrational moment of wanting to kiss her lips. Sweet Mary and Joseph, what was she thinking?

Then, Sookie sensually slid over Adele and moved to Eric. Before Adele's shocked eyes, Sookie and Eric began to kiss each other. Eric moved his hands down Sookie's body and cupped her butt. He moaned as they writhed together.

"You, two, need to stop doing that in my bed," said Adele, finally finding her voice.

But, Sookie dropped her fangs and lunged at Eric's neck. He cried out, but then his cries turned sexual in nature as he clutched at Sookie who was perched atop him.

"Stop," urged Adele.

Sookie lifted her head and her grandson's blood was smeared on her chin. Adele shrank back, but Eric pulled Sookie back to him.

"Don't stop," he breathed. "You make it feel so good."

Sookie smirked. "He's always so eager. When I finish him off, I'll have time for you, sweetie," she said. "Don't go anywhere."

Adele sat upright in bed and found herself alone. She looked around her room a moment in disorientation. Oh, my sweet stars, thought Adele. Thank goodness, she woke up from that dream. Adele slipped her feet in her slippers and pulled on a robe. She noticed that she didn't have the usual aches and pains this morning like she usually did. In fact, she felt great. She glanced outside the window and saw that the sun was already up. Sookie must be gone by now, she thought. She tried to shrug off the images of that dream. Did having her save my life cause me to have that strange dream of her? No matter, thought Adele. I want to clean up that mess downstairs and, while I'm at it, I should just clean the entire house. I can bake those loafs of pumpkin bread for the church bake sale, too. With her mind running through all the things that she wanted to get done, Adele made her way downstairs.

The Bodyguard

"I won't hear of it, young man," said Adele. "It's not proper for you to sit out here in the cold when I've got hot breakfast and coffee waiting for you inside."

"Uh, Ma'am, I do appreciate the thought, but I should stay out here to keep an eye on things," he said.

"Nonsense," replied Adele. "I and my grandson are inside the house. You can watch us better from there."

"It's easier just to give up," said Eric, looking over Gran's shoulder. "She is going to win this battle, anyway."

Eric passed his eyes over the man that Sookie had called to watch over them. He was in his mid-thirties and with an average build. He wasn't someone who looked like he frequented Fangtasia and that reassured Eric. He didn't find anything in his examination that caused him to sense a threat in this man.

The man was smart enough to see that he was fighting a losing battle. With a smile of thanks, he said, "I guess I could use a cup of fresh coffee."

Adele seated him at the kitchen table and slid a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Now, I just took those biscuits out of the oven and there's butter and my homemade strawberry jam on the table," said Adele.

"Thank you," said the man. "I don't remember the last time that I had homemade biscuits."

"Well, it's been way too long, hasn't it?" said a cheery Adele.

Eric retook his seat and picked at his breakfast. He looked at Gran with concern as she hummed a little tune while refilling his cup.

"Are you sure that you're fine?" he asked.

"I've never felt better," said Adele. "There are so many things that I want to get done today that I don't know where to begin."

"Just try not to overdo it," replied Eric.

Adele smiled down on him. "I know that you cleaned up the mess down here in the kitchen while I was sleeping," she said.

Eric had not wanted her to see the evidence of her mortality in the kitchen. There had been so much blood and it seemed to be everywhere. Eric had come downstairs after making love to Sookie, even though he hated to leave her arms. As he stood looking into this room, he had almost started crying again. He had tried calling Jason, but his brother's phone was turned off. Eric had cleaned up every trace of his grandmother's blood. But, he could not remove the vision of her lying cold and lifeless on the kitchen floor from his mind. He wondered if he would ever forget that sight.

"Did you find anything out of the ordinary outside, Mr.?" asked Eric.

"Oh, the name is Walden, Bruce Walden," he said. "And, no, I didn't see any evidence of anything unusual outside or any sign of forced entry."

"We don't lock the doors around here," said Adele.

"I think it's time to start," replied Bruce.

Adele looked down and a shadow crossed her face. "So much hatred. I could almost feel it coming off of him while he was attacking me," she said.

"Are you sure it was a man?" asked Eric.

"I…I guess that I'm not sure of anything," replied Adele.

Eric sat in contemplation. Who would want to kill Gran? She had never done anyone to anyone and if she had an enemy in town it was news to him. Except, there were a few Bon Temps residents who were angry with Lorena speaking to The Descendants of the Glorious Dead in the church. There were several angry phone messages on their answering machine.

"Don't erase the phone messages," said Eric.

Adele looked away and Eric said, "Gran, those messages were potential evidence."

"I'm sorry, honey, but I couldn't stand to listen to such hatred and prejudice," she replied.

"You were threatened?" asked Bruce.

"It was just talk," said Adele.

"Evidently, someone was deadly serious," replied Bruce.

There was a moment of silence and Eric asked Bruce, "How do you know Sookie?"

"I defaulted on a loan," he said. "So, I do little odd jobs for her when she asks me."

"Oh, you poor dear," said Adele. "At least, Miss Stackhouse was understanding enough to allow you to work off your debt."

"Yes, I guess you could say that," he replied. "How are you two connected to Sheriff Stackhouse?"

Gran smiled. "Eric is seeing her," she said. "She's been so sweet."

_Really? Are they talking about the same Sookie Stackhouse that I know? _Eric heard Bruce's thoughts as clear as day. He was aware that Bruce gave him a more intensive study. _No wonder she's so hot to have this kid watched. I should have guessed from his looks. I'd better make sure that nothing happens to them because I don't even want to think about what she will do to me._

Eric finished his coffee and got up to put the cup in the sink.

"Are you leaving?" asked Gran.

"I have some classes this morning," said Eric.

"Be careful," said Gran.

"Whoever broke into this house attacked you, Gran," said Eric.

"That doesn't mean that I was the true target or that he wouldn't have hurt you, too," said Gran.

Bruce passed his eyes between Eric and Gran and Eric said, "You stay and watch over my grandmother."

How did he know what I was thinking, wondered Bruce. Eric turned and left and Adele refilled Bruce's coffee.

"He's such a good boy," said Adele.

I bet he is, thought Bruce, I bet he is.

Eddie

Jason and Amy were stretched out on a blanket behind Jason's house. Amy wore a pretty dress with ruffles and Jason held her hand as they gazed up at the sky though the trees. She sat up and kissed him.

"I've done V before, but last night was like nothing that I have ever experienced," she said. "You felt it, too?"

"Oh, yeah," replied Jason.

"It's like we connected on a level that went deeper than I even knew was possible," she said.

Jason held her hand. "I know exactly what you mean. It was intense," he said.

They kissed each other again and the cries of the vampire could be heard all the way to where they lay.

"Please, somebody help me," cried Eddie. "Please, I don't want to die."

"Ignore him," said Amy.

"Aren't you worried about someone hearing him?" asked Jason.

"You live out in the middle of nowhere. Who's going to hear him?" asked Amy.

"Please, let me go," called out Eddie. "I promise to not say anything."

Jason closed his eyes and Amy took his chin in her hand. "Don't listen to him. He's already dead," she said.

"He's the loudest dead person that I ever heard," said Jason.

"Don't spoil this for us," she said. "He doesn't matter. We deserve this."

She leaned down and kissed Jason who pulled her into his arms. He let her go and looked into the trees. "I feel like the trees are trying to talk to me," he said.

"The trees are alive and we're all just parts of something bigger than us. The trees, the grass, the animals in the forest and us," she said. "That's why that vampire doesn't matter. He is a dead creature without any life in him."

"But, what are we going to do with him?" asked Jason.

"We can't let him go," said Amy. "He would turn on us in an instant and kill both of us. He will try to fool you, but don't trust him. Not for an instant, understand?"

Jason nodded and Amy moved down beside him and drew him close as Eddie's cries fell on their deaf ears.

Lettie Mae

Tara was behind the bar when her mother walked into Merlott's. Tara's eyes widened as she looked at her mother. She had cleaned herself up and was wearing one of her old church dresses, minus the crazy hat. But as Lettie Mae drew closer, Tara realized that she was the same as she ever was, since she could smell the vodka on her mother's breath.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Tara.

"Can't a mother come and visit her daughter?" asked Lettie Mae.

"Since when do you give a shit about me," asked Tara.

"Baby, don't be like this," said Lettie Mae, as she slid onto a barstool.

"Yeah, you're the one who hit me in the head with a bottle the last time I saw you," said Tara.

"That was the demon," said Lettie Mae. "It wasn't me."

"What kind of crazy talk is that?" asked Tara.

"It's the truth. I have a demon living inside of me," said Lettie Mae. "It been there all these years and it has kept me from being a good mother to you."

"Oh my God," said Tara. "I can't believe this crap."

"Don't you dare take the Lord's name in vain, Tara Mae," said Lettie Mae. "That's why it wants me because it targets those people who still have faith."

"Are you even listening to the crazy shit coming out of your mouth?" demanded Tara.

"It's not crazy talk," said Lettie Mae with a stern voice. "There is a woman who says that she can get rid of this demon."

"I think that I know where this is going," said Tara, putting her hands on her hips.

"Tara Mae, she wants four hundred and forty-five dollars to perform an exorcism. I don't have that kind of money," said Lettie Mae.

"And you came here to ask me for it?" said Tara.

"Baby, I need this," begged Lettie Mae.

"I don't have four hundred and forty-five dollars to throw away on some crazy exorcism," said Tara.

Lettie Mae reached out and grabbed Tara's hand. "Please, you have to help me. I can't go on like this with this thing inside of me. It wants to drag me down with it. It was the demon that kept me from being a good mother to you. It wouldn't let me."

"Get out," said Tara.

"You can't just leave me like this," said Lettie Mae. "I never wanted to be a drunk, but alcohol is the devil's brew. It was the demon all these years that drove me to drink."

"I don't have time for this shit," said Tara. "I'm working."

"Okay, Baby," said Lettie Mae. "But, promise me that you will think about what I've said."

Lettie Mae moved off the barstool, but she didn't turn away. She clutched her purse and licked her lips. "I wouldn't pass on a drink. Anything, at all," she said.

"Get the hell out of here," hissed Tara.

Lettie Mae's face fell. "I'll be waiting to hear from you," she said as she turned and walked out of the bar.

Tara furiously began wiping the counter and Sam approached. He had seen part of the scene between Tara and her mother.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Does your family ever hit you up for money to waste on stupid shit?" asked Tara.

"I'm not exactly close with my family," replied Sam.

"Lucky you," replied Tara.

"It's said that you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family," said Sam.

"They also say that no one else can truly fuck you up like family can," replied Tara.

"Maybe, family is over-rated," said Sam.

He reached under the bar for a bottle of the good stuff and poured a shot for Tara and himself. He handed a glass to Tara and took the other one. Tinkling the shot glasses together, he said, "Here's to orphans."

"Amen," said Tara, drinking it in one gulp.

Tara looked down at her hands and said, "But, being alone is no picnic either."

"I know how you feel," said Sam.

"You do?" asked Tara, looking up at him.

"You don't see any significant other around here, do you?" asked Sam.

"Why is that?" asked Tara. "You own your own restaurant. You're handsome and nice. The girls should be beating down your door."

"You don't know as much about me as you think," replied Sam.

"You're a good man, Sam Merlott," she said.

"Like I said, you don't know me," replied Sam.

Sam put the bottle away and Tara said, "Maybe, I wouldn't mind knowing you a little better."

"Ah, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," he said.

"Why? Because I work for you?" asked Tara.

"That's a pretty good reason," replied Sam.

"Or, are you just looking for an excuse?" asked Tara.

"Tara, it's not that," replied Sam.

"Whatever," said Tara.

She turned away and Sam said, "What are we talking about here?"

"I don't know," said Tara. "Friends with benefits? You tell me."

"That's asking for trouble," replied Sam, with a lop-sided grin.

"Trouble is my middle name," said Tara. "My life is already fucked up, Sam. I'm tired of being alone. Aren't you?"

"Well, maybe, we could talk more about this later in private," said Sam.

Tara gave Sam a hesitant smile. "I'd like that."

Trouble at Merlott's

Eric cornered Sam before starting his shift. He was wearing a Merlott's tee shirt in black and a pair of jeans. He had checked in on Gran before coming to work and she was fine.

"Um, Sam, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Eric.

"Sure," said Sam. "I just have something to do in my trailer."

"Oh, it will just take a minute," said Eric. "I was wondering if you had a vacant apartment for rent or something?"

"Sure. Cutting the apron strings?" replied Sam.

"I think that it might be time," said Eric. "My grandmother needs me to stay with her for a while, though."

"Just let me know," said Sam. "I hold one open for you."

"Thanks," replied Eric.

Sam flashed a smile and left the bar. But, Eric noticed that he flicked his eyes over to Tara before he passed out of sight. A minute later, Tara left the same way. Now, what was going on there? He just might have to ask Tara about what was going on with her and Sam Merlott. Eric moved to work and tried to keep from worrying about Gran. The night seemed to fly by, until Jason came into the bar with Amy who was starting her shift. Eric made a check of his customers and went to where Jason sat drinking a beer.

"Can I speak with you?" asked Eric.

"Sure, little brother," replied Jason.

Eric led the way out the back door and turned to face Jason before the trash bin. There was something off about him, he thought.

"I tried calling you last night," said Eric. "Several times."

"Amy and I were busy," replied Jason.

"Busy. Just so you know, our grandmother was attacked and almost killed last night," said Eric.

"What?" replied Jason. "Say that again."

"Someone took a knife and almost stabbed Gran to death," said Eric.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" asked Jason.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" demanded Eric.

"If what you say is true, why isn't she in the hospital?" asked Jason. "She's not there, is she?"

"No, Gran is home and she's fine, now," said Eric.

"You aren't making any sense," replied Jason.

"Are you high? Is that why your brain can't seem to concentrate?" demanded Eric.

"You know, I don't have time for your bullshit," said Jason.

Jason moved to step around Eric and Eric grabbed his arm. "I'm not joking about what happened to Gran," he said. "I found her in a pool of blood and barely alive when I came home after cleaning up at the church last night."

"But, you just said that she is fine?" replied Jason.

"That's only because Sookie saved her life," said Eric.

"A vampire?" asked Jason.

Eric nodded and Jason said, "But, that doesn't make any sense. Who would want to harm Gran?"

"I don't know," replied Eric.

"And you just left her all alone?" asked Jason.

"There's a man watching over her," said Eric.

"Man? What man?" asked Jason.

"Sookie sent him," replied Eric.

"Oh, your vampire girlfriend, again," said Jason. "That's just great."

"She was there when we needed her," replied Eric. "Where were you?"

"My personal life is none of your business," said Jason. "But, I'll stay with her while Amy is working."

Eric looked relieved and Jason added, "There is a killer in town, you know."

"But, Maudette and Dawn are nothing like Gran. It doesn't make any sense," said Eric.

"Doesn't it? Gran brought that vampire into a church and you are banging another one," said Jason. "Looks like it might be related to me. Vampires aren't nothing but trouble and you brought it to our own doorstep."

Jason pushed Eric out of his way and into the garbage bin. Eric stared after him, but he didn't reply. He leaned against the bin and the shadows seemed to close in on him.

The rest of the night went on uneventfully, until the vampires showed up. Standing behind the bar, Eric saw Malcolm, Diana and Liam come inside. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a feeling of unease washed over him. What could they want here? They stopped all conversation and they boldly strolled around the other patrons. Stopping here and there to touch someone. Diane was wearing tight leather pants and a revealing top. She grabbed a teenage boy in a booth and began to pet him as he froze in her hands. Malcolm's piercing eyes found him and he smiled.

"Look, Diane, it's Lorena's sweet-smelling neighbor," he said.

"Yeah, whatever," hissed Diane. "He's off-limits, remember?"

Malcolm strolled closer to him and sniffed him. "Have you given up the goods to our illustrious Sheriff, yet?" he asked.

"That's none of your business," replied Eric.

"Sookie Stackhouse is not one to waste any time. Did she leave any for us?" he asked.

"I would never let you touch me," said Eric.

"Permission has little to do with," said Malcolm.

"You and your friends aren't welcome here," said Sam, coming into the main area from the back entrance.

"The invitation thing doesn't work in a public place," said Malcolm.

"This is a family place for locals only," said Sam.

"Well, we just closed on a place down the road," said Malcolm. "So, that makes us neighbors. We'll take three of those Tru Bloods."

"I said that you aren't welcome," said Sam.

"Who's going to throw us out? You?" asked Liam, with a grin.

Sam grabbed a pool stick and broke it over his knee. He pointed the jagged end at Malcolm. "I said to get the hell out of my bar," he said.

Malcolm pointed at Sam and said, "You're a dead man."

Eric rushed from behind the bar and tried to grab Sam. "Sam, don't do it," he said.

Sam brushed off Eric's hand and lunged for Malcolm. But, Liam intercepted him and grabbed the stick out of his hands and threw it across the bar. It embedded itself into the wall behind the bar as cries of shock and screams broke out. Liam knocked Sam into Malcolm's hands and he pinned him by the throat against a table.

"Stop," said Eric.

Malcolm smiled. "Come with us and we'll leave everyone else alone."

Diane left the boy who crawled to the far side of the booth and trembled. She sidled up to Eric and brushed her hand through his hair. "Don't you want to party with us?" she said.

"Eric, don't be stupid," gasped Sam.

"Shut up," said Malcolm to Sam. He increased the pressure and Sam began to turn blue.

"Please, just leave everyone alone," said Eric. "I'll go with you."

"See, Diane, these humans can be reasoned with," said Malcolm.

He let go of Sam who collapsed into a fit of coughing. "Now, just so there's no misunderstanding, you are coming with us of your own free will, correct?" asked Malcolm loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Diane hung off Eric's shoulder and smirked.

"Yes," said Eric. "Let's go."

The three vampires drew Eric along with them as they walked outside into the darkness. Several moments passed in silence.

"Should we call Sheriff Dearborn or Andy?" asked Arlene.

"What the fuck are they going to do?" asked Lafayette.

"It ain't right, them vampires moving in here," said Royce to his companions. "Damn fangers."

Once at their new home, Malcolm shoved Eric to the sofa. In a flash, Diane moved beside him and began petting him. Malcolm stared at the boy. During the drive over here in the enclosed space of their car, the boy's sweet scent had been undeniable. He smelled like candy, thought Malcolm. Something told Malcolm that he was worth all the fuss that everyone was making over him. Diane dropped her fangs and leaned in closer to Eric.

"Ladies, first," said Malcolm.

Eric didn't know exactly what to do. He left with them to keep them from hurting anyone else, but who was going to stop them from hurting him?

"Sookie won't like this," said Eric.

"Sookie isn't here and while Sookie is away, Malcolm will always play," he replied.

"Enough talking," said Diane.

She grabbed Eric and bent his head to the side. But, before her fangs touched his throat, the front door was hit so hard that it was knocked off it's hinges. It fell to the living room floor in a loud crash. In a flash, Sookie moved inside and grabbed Diane and threw her back so hard that Diane crashed into a wall. She hit with so much force that she passed completely through it, leaving a gaping hole and causing a cloud of dust to form. Sookie placed herself in front of Eric and faced Liam and Malcolm. Eric looked nervously between them. Sookie was only one vampire and he was sure that Diane was only momentarily incapacitated.

"He's under my protection," said Sookie.

"Uh, Sookie," began Eric.

"Not now," she said, facing the threat in front of her. "I'm your sheriff. Are you openly defying me?"

"It wasn't clear to us that this boy was your property," said Malcolm. "But, now it is. After all, it's evident that you've given him your blood or you wouldn't have come for him."

"What?" asked Eric. "What's he talking about?"

Malcolm smirked. "He doesn't know, does he?"

"Know what?" demanded Eric.

"Not now, Eric," said Sookie.

"Busted," said Malcolm, with a snicker.

Sookie grabbed Eric by the arm and pulled him out the door. "I'll deal with you, three, later," she said. "And I'm taking your car."

"Of course, Sheriff Stackhouse," said Malcolm. He reached into a pocket and threw her the keys. "It was all just a simple misunderstanding. The boy could have ended it anytime by just saying that he was yours."

Malcolm watched them leave and listened for the car. As it pulled away, Lorena came into the living room from where she had been hiding the entire time. She plopped down on the sofa and smiled.

"You called it, Darling," said Malcolm. "Maybe, there is hope for you after all in this little game."

"I don't believe in luck," said Lorena.

I'm Part of You

Sookie had driven well over the speed limit and brought Eric home. He had sat like a sullen teenager on the seat across from her. But, though he was quiet, she could feel a rage that was bubbling to the surface. She would deal with Malcolm and the other two. As the car came to a screeching halt in the driveway, Eric got out of the car in a rush. He stopped halfway to the steps of his house and rounded on her.

"What the fuck was Malcolm talking about?" he demanded. "You wouldn't talk to me in the car, but you are going to talk to me, now."

"In vampire eyes, you belong to me," said Sookie. "It's just the way that vampires view humans."

"He said a little more than that," said Eric. "I want to know about the blood part."

"Fine," said Sookie. "That night that we first had sex, don't you remember that you came into contact with my blood?"

Eric remembered very well that Sookie had rubbed her blood onto him. She had also kissed him with the remains of her blood on her lips. Could her blood have passed through his skin? He remembered the taste of her blood and how he had licked it from her sweet lips.

"My blood is inside you, now," said Sookie.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that I can sense you which is how I knew that you were in trouble tonight and how I was able to find you," said Sookie. "It helps me to protect you."

Eric couldn't stop himself from trembling. He wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. Now, his increased sexual performance that night made sense. He dreamed all kinds of sexual and naughty dreams about her. Were those dreams a part of this blood thing, too?

"The dreams?" he asked, softly. "You're causing them, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said.

"I can't believe that you lied to me," said Eric.

"I didn't lie," said Sookie.

"Not telling me everything is the same thing as lying to me," said Eric. "Plus, you never asked me if I wanted this. You just did it."

"I'm not the only one who keeps secrets," said Sookie.

"Excuse me?" asked Eric.

"You know exactly what I mean," said Sookie. She began to move around Eric. "You pretend to be just a human, but I know that you aren't. Do you really think that I can't find out about you? That you are a telepath?"

Eric froze and Sookie stopped in front of him. "There are forces that you can't even to begin to understand that are at work here. You have come to the attention of other vampires besides me. You need to be somebody's or you won't be at all," she said.

"So, just let you take care of me?" asked Eric.

"Better me than someone else," said Sookie. "I'm a thousand years old and there are few who are my equal."

"Well, that's a good selling point for a relationship," replied Eric.

He moved to the steps and Sookie grabbed his arm. "I'm a part of you, now. That is a connection that is not so easily undone."

"I can't talk about this anymore, right now," said Eric, turning away and moving to the front steps of the house.

"Before you think that my actions don't mean anything," said Sookie. "I want you to know that there are exactly two humans with my blood who are living, you and your grandmother. I don't give my blood lightly. And without my blood inside of you, I would have never known to rush to you last night and your grandmother would have died. Think on that."

Eric heard a rush of air and he turned back around to face Sookie. But, she was gone into the blackness of the sky. But, she wasn't completely gone, he thought. She was a part of him, now.

**A/N: **We are still covering the first season. With Adele alive and well in this version. Whether it was Sookie's intention or not, saving Adele's life is something that Eric can never forget and he will feel an obligation for, especially when she made it clear that she did it only for him. I think that there will be something to come out of Eddie's kidnapping and that Jason may well regret it.

I had Lorena using Malcolm, Diane and Liam to stir up trouble between Sookie and Eric. We're not going to get rid of Lorena that easily and I would hazard a guess that she has other tricks up her sleeve. But, she did uncover Sookie's lie of omission to Eric. And our two lovers had their first spat with each other.

Sookie is a vampire and it is hard for her to admit her feelings, just like it is hard for Eric to do on the show. But, some of the things that she said to Eric at the end of this chapter were very telling of what her feelings might be.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **This chapter has a part with Jason and Amy. It also has a scene at Merlott's, which has more than one thing going on and then moves on to Sookie and Pam at Fangtasia. It concludes with a scene between Eric and Lorena. I gave a glimpse into the thoughts of both Sookie and Lorena in this chapter to show how Eric affects each of them. This chapter has probably occurred a few days after the events of the last chapter.

Chapter 12

I

"Stop shutting me out," demanded Amy.

Jason turned his eyes to her as she shut off the television and stood before him. She was wearing a gauzy dress in a navy blue paisley pattern. Her pink bra was exposed. Before Jason had always found her Bohemian style of dressing to be attractive simply because it was so different to what he was used to. Now, however it simply marked her as being different. He had started seeing cracks in her illusion of perfection and was beginning to think that Eddie had been right about her. He felt that he didn't know the person who stood in front of him.

"Jason, please, don't ignore me," she pleaded.

"I just can't talk about this right now," replied Jason, getting up out of his chair.

As he tried to walk past Amy, she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her once again. "Don't run away from me, either," she said.

Jason's lips drew into a straight line. "Alright, you killed him," he said. "You said that we weren't going to do that."

Amy frowned. "Did you really think that there was ever going to have been another outcome for that vampire? From the moment that we threw those silver chains over him and abducted him, there was a death sentence was over his head," she said. Amy moved closer and ran her hand up his arm. "I love this soft side to you, but you are forgetting just what Eddie was."

"He wouldn't have hurt us," insisted Jason. "He gave his word."

"The word of a vampire who would have said anything in order to get free?" replied Amy. "Eddie wasn't this sweet, frumpy vampire that tried to become your buddy. He was a killer and the moment that you would have removed his bindings, he would have killed both of us without a second thought."

"Like you did to him?" said Jason, staring into those eyes that were such a mystery to him.

Amy flinched and let go of his arm as if his words had hurt her. She crossed her arms over herself. "Fine, if you want to see me like that, but everything I did, I did to protect you," she said.

Jason stared hopelessly at her. This act had bound them together. He couldn't just ask her to leave and go her merry way. She was with him for the long haul. For better or for worse, although, he was starting to think that it was all starting to go downhill between them. No matter what she said, he couldn't forget that vision of her driving a stake through Eddie as he was begging for his life. He stared down at his hands. They were clean, now. But, every once in a while, he would see them covered in blood. Eddie's blood.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"We have to keep quiet," replied Amy. "Vampires will kill us in retribution if it ever gets out. There isn't a statue of limitations on killing a vampire to them."

Great, that's just great, thought Jason. All he had wanted was a little V. Something to make him feel good and, now, he felt like he was dammed.

"Maybe, we deserve it," said Jason.

"Don't even say something like that," said Amy. "Eddie wasn't a person. He was a thing. It's time that you start to realize that. It was always going to turn out the way that it did. Deep down, you always knew that."

"No, I didn't know," said Jason.

Amy put her hands on her hips and gave Jason a chilling stare. "I'm going to stop coddling you. Be a man, Jason Stackhouse. You weren't so concerned about Eddie when you were drinking his blood and having V sex with me, were you?"

Jason's eyes grew haunted and he turned away. He had to get out of this house and away from her. And, he had to get away from her words that had the ring of truth in them. He brushed past her in a rush.

"Where you going?" Amy demanded.

"Merlott's," replied Jason.

As he got into his truck and drove away, he realized that he hadn't gotten away from the real person that he was trying to escape from.

Himself.

II

Jason trudged into Merlott's and almost took a seat by himself. But, that would have meant that he would have been all alone with his own thoughts. He scanned the crowd of regulars and saw Rene sitting by himself. He didn't see Hoyt, but maybe he was home with his momma. He took a seat next to Rene and caught Arlene's eye. She nodded and made her way to the bar. When she put the mug of beer in front of him, he stared morosely into it's depths.

"What's dragging you down?" asked Rene.

After a few seconds, Jason muttered, "Nothing."

"Girlfriend problems?" guessed Rene.

Jason looked up at Rene in surprise and Rene continued, "You two seemed to be getting serious. Are you having second thoughts?"

"I'm starting to see that she isn't the person that I thought she was," replied Jason.

Rene blew out a laugh. "You're kidding me, right?"

Jason stared at Rene, belligerently, "Did I say something funny?"

"Grow up," said Rene. "Nobody is perfect. All that is happening is that you two are finally stripping away all the layers and seeing the real person underneath."

"But, what if I don't like the person underneath?" asked Jason.

"Whatcha talking about," said Rene. "She's pretty and nice. She's not a serial killer or anything." Rene chuckled at his own joke. "Take my Cher, she isn't perfect. She comes with a lot of baggage. Four ex-husbands and two kids worth. But, I wouldn't take her any other way."

It was then that someone came into the bar and blurted out in excitement, "Those new vampires that just moved into town were killed in a fire."

"Say that again," said Sam.

"Their house burned down with them inside it," the man replied. "They found four coffins."

"Four?" said Rene. "Who's the fourth one?"

"Hopefully, it was that other fanger that lives in this town," said Royce, who was sitting with his friends. His eyes zeroed in on Eric behind the bar and he added, "You know, your neighbor."

"She has a right to live wherever she wants," replied Eric with a frown.

"Yeah, but it's real curious that we didn't have a problem with vampires until you started putting out for them," said Royce. "They come here sniffing around you like you're a bitch in heat or something."

Jason flung his chair back and stood up. "You better watch your mouth," he told Royce.

Royce held up his hands and gave Jason an evil smile. "I just call them like I see them."

"You stupid, redneck asshole," said Tara who had just come into the bar and caught Royce's comments. "I heard what you said, but you might want to remember that Eric went with those vampires to save all of your worthless hides."

"Like you're an unbiased view," hissed Royce. "Everybody knows that you have been in love with the Stackhouse men all your life. Is it just one of them or are you the filling in their sandwich?"

"Why you-" began Tara, bunching up her fist and moving towards Royce.

Sam skillfully intercepted her and held her back. His hands were firm, but gentle as he tried to soothe her, "I can handle this, okay?"

When she stopped struggling, Sam let her go and put her behind himself. He then turned and faced Royce. "I don't appreciate that kind of talk about one of my employees," he said.

Sam walked forward to Royce and every step seemed to be coiled with menace. Stopping before Royce, he said, "And I really don't like that kind of talk about my girl. Since, I'm such a nice guy, I'm giving you a warning this time. But, the next time you open your stupid mouth and insult Eric or Tara, I will beat you to a pulp. Got it?"

Royce's eyes widened as he stared into Sam's eyes. Normally, those blue eyes were open and friendly, but now they were dark and Royce was scared of what he found inside of them. "Sure, it was all just a misunderstanding," he said. "I didn't even know that you were going out with Tara."

"Now, you do," said Sam. "Now, get the hell out of here and don't come back until you learn some manners."

Royce left without as much as a whimper, followed by his friends. One of whom, had a fresh bandage wrapped around his forearm. As they ducked out of the bar, Sam turned and addressed the crowd.

"Show's over, people," he said.

A few seconds ticked away and then the soft sounds of conversation started up again. Someone played a song on the jukebox and waitresses began moving through the customers as if nothing had happened. But, Sam turned around to find Tara standing there with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You had to open your big mouth, didn't you?" she said.

"I'm not going to stand there and let you be insulted by the likes of Royce or anyone else for that matter," replied Sam. "You are my girl."

"I'm not your girl," said Tara. "I'm just the girl that you are banging because you're afraid of being alone."

"Maybe, it started out that way," said Sam.

Tara paused and she tried to control the flicker of emotion that she felt in her heart that seemed to bloom like a flower at his words. Stop it, she told herself. Friends with benefits, that's all this ever was. Yet, why was her heart racing? Why was she staring at his body that looked even better without those clothes as if he was a drink of water to a woman dying of thirst? You'll get your heart broken, just like every other time. Look away, look away, you stupid girl.

Yet, Tara couldn't take her eyes off Sam. "And now?" she softly asked, her heart in her mouth.

"I guess that I was lying to myself," replied Sam with that husky voice that sent a chill down Tara's spine. Her heart now seemed to flutter in her chest with a longing for something special in her life. Her heart was whispering to her that here was something special. It was also calling her a fool for trying to ignore it. She tightened her arms around herself to keep her hands from reaching for him. She wanted to pull him close and inhale his masculine scent that never failed to ignite a flame of desire within her. Already, she could feel a heat that was blooming between her legs. He smelled like something wild and beautiful. Something that could only be tamed by her touch. She closed her eyes and tried to resist that pull, but images of them making love would not go away. She felt his fingers on her face. They seemed so hot and she felt as if she were burning up with a fever.

"Look at me, Tara Mae," he said.

Tara opened her eyes and searched Sam's. He softly caressed her and his mouth opened and closed, as if he was trying to decide how to put his thoughts into words. "I can't separate my feelings from the act of making love with you," he huskily said and Tara felt that heat bloom into pyrotechnics between her legs. Run away and don't listen to him, she told herself. But, her feet refused to comply and she stayed rooted to the spot.

"I don't want you as some kind of fuck buddy," said Sam. "I want the real thing. You and me, together."

"Sam, I…I'm no good at being a girlfriend," she replied. "I don't know how."

"I don't open up to people very easily, either," said Sam. "We'll take it slow and learn along the way. We have something good together. I know that you feel it."

Even though her brain was shouting at her to say 'no', she heard her voice say, "Alright." In a battle between your brain and your heart, the heart always wins, she thought. She flashed a tentative smile to Sam and he leaned in and kissed her. She found that she didn't care that he did it in front of everyone in the bar. She found that she wanted to let everyone else know that he was her man. Hers and no one else's. As he parted her lips and teased her with his tongue, Tara heard herself moan in response.

Gasping for breath, Tara said in a shaky voice. "God, you feel so good."

"I feel even better in bed," Sam whispered in her ear. "Are you hopelessly in awe of my bedroom skills?"

He was teasing her and a little smile lifted only one side of his lips. But, he spoke the truth. She needed him so much that her body ached.

"I think that I'll wait for you in your trailer," she replied. "In your bed and naked."

Sam hissed and she felt a growing bulge pressing against her thigh. She was intimately acquainted with that bulge and she nudged her leg against it, causing Sam to close his eyes.

"I'll be waiting for this, too," she said. "I might need some reminding about those bedroom skills."

She then felt her shyness return and she gave him a brief chaste kiss. She slipped out of his embrace and walked to the exit, but turned back to look at him. He was still watching her and she felt goose-pimples on her arms as she felt the heat of that gaze. There was something primal and sexy about that hungry look, she thought.

III

Sookie sat in a pensive mood in her office. _He doesn't mean anything to you,_ she told herself. _You were marking your territory and staking your claim on him, that's all. You're a thousand year old vampire, so stop mooning over the boy. It's embarrassing._ Sookie fell back into her chair and tried to think of something else. But, her thoughts returned to his beautiful eyes that seemed to reach into her soul as he gazed down on her while he was making love to her. Her thoughts returned to the feel of his soft skin that only she had explored and knew intimately. She remembered how soft his hair had felt as she had gripped in her fingers as he used his tongue to give her pleasure. A skill that she had taught him and one that he seemed to master with effortless grace. Her body began to respond to these thoughts and her nipples grew to hard points and she grew damp between her legs.

She could find a willing sex partner in the bar. Fuck him right here on her desk or on the black leather sofa across the room. But, she knew that she could engage in sex until the sun rose over the horizon and it would not satisfy this craving inside of her. That sort of meaningless sexual humping would leave a bad taste in her mouth. He had ruined her, she thought angrily. Those pretty eyes had lured her in and trapped her. The ultimate player had been played like she was a novice at the game. Only his touch would do. She longed to feel his body pressed against hers and hear his soft voice as he fell over the edge and came in her arms. He had committed the ultimate crime of making her care for him. She shivered. _Did she love him?_ She was almost afraid to contemplate that question. She loved Godric and Pam, but they were vampires. She wasn't sure if she knew what kind of love there would be between her and Eric. All she knew was that she was miserable. Did that mean that she loved him? Why would humans ever fall into love if it made them feel like this?

Just then Pam came into the office and perched on Sookie's desk. Sookie passed her eyes over her child. She had changed out of her Fangtasia attire and was wearing a powder blue skirt that was topped by a matching twinset. Her honey blonde hair fell in big, soft waves. Except for those cold eyes, she could almost pass as human, thought Sookie with a smile.

"I just received notice that three vampires were killed today," she said.

"Where?"

"Bon Temps," replied Pam.

Sookie wondered what was going on in that little town. She had ordered Bruce to stay on duty, even though Eric had tried to make him leave. Bruce knew who called the shots. He was smart for a human, she mused. Smart enough to not provoke her wrath and disobey her.

Sookie was hoping that Lorena was among the dead. She would not shed any tears over her demise. Part of the reason that she had moved so quickly on the boy was to keep him out of her claws. _But, don't kid yourself_, a little voice inside her head taunted her. _You wanted inside his pants in the worst way._ Sookie ignored that voice and focused on Pam.

"Who are the dead?"

"Malcolm, Diane and Liam," replied Pam.

No great loss there, Sookie thought. She hadn't had time to address the issue of their kidnapping of Eric. The unholy trio and Lorena were old friends and Sookie was sure that Lorena had put them up to it. She just couldn't prove it, now.

"Plus, another vampire has gone missing from the same area," said Pam.

Sookie raised her eyebrows, "Who?"

"Eddie Gauthier."

Sookie tried to place the name and finally the image of an overweight and mild-mannered vampire came to her. He was a young vampire who had been cast off by his maker. It was unfortunate, but not all vampires were cut out to be makers. The vampire who looked more like an accountant would be easy prey to those who targeted vampires. Sometimes, a vampire was taken to drain his blood, since vampire blood was valuable on the drug market.

"Bring in any known drug dealers in Bon Temps," said Sookie. "And show them the hospitality of our dungeon."

Pam nodded, but she didn't move off Sookie's desk. Sookie stared at her and said, "Out with it."

"I know who is a V user in Bon Temps," she said. "He could prove useful."

"I sense that there is a 'but' in here somewhere," replied Sookie.

"It's Eric's brother, Jason," said Pam.

Sookie contemplated this information. If she brought in Eric's brother, he might never forgive her. _No, I can't do that, yet._ She would wait and hear what the dealer had to say about Eddie Gauthier's kidnapping. She felt a flicker of anger that her actions as Sheriff were being held captive by a handsome blonde boy.

"Don't tell anyone about Jason," said Sookie. "We'll talk to the dealers first."

"When?" asked Pam.

"No time like the present," said Sookie.

Pam got up to comply with Sookie's orders, but Sookie interrupted her. "Take Longshadow with you."

"I can handle this," replied Pam.

"No one knows your capabilities better than me," said Sookie. "But, Bon Temps seems to be a hostile environment to our kind."

Pam's expression softened. "You're worried about me".

"Maybe, I'm learning not to take anything for granted," replied Sookie.

Pam lingered and said, "He'll come around."

"Am I that obvious?" asked Sookie.

"I've been with you for over a hundred years," said Pam. "That gives me a little insight into my maker."

Sookie almost wished that her head hadn't been turned by that pretty quasi-human in Bon Temps. She could go back to being her old self and not suffer from these thoughts that plagued her and refused to be silenced. But the door had been opened and there wasn't any shutting it, now. Sookie watched Pam leave the office and once again she was alone with only her thoughts of Eric to keep her company.

IV

Eric knocked on Lorena's door after he got off work. It was late, but he wanted to find out if she had been among the bodies that were in the coffins pulled out of Malcolm's house. According to Andy who had come into the bar for a much needed drink, vampires disintegrated into a bloody soup at death, making it impossible to identify them. There was no answer at the door, and Eric cautiously turned the doorknob. It was unlocked and Eric opened the door and peered into the darkened house.

"Lorena, are you here?" he called out.

The only reply was silence and Eric stepped through the door. He blindly felt along the side of the door until his fingers came into contact with a light switch. He hoped that the newly installed electricity was working as he flipped the lights on. To his relief, the lights flickered on and Eric found himself in the foyer. He slowly made his way inside.

"Lorena?" he called, more softly.

Inside the living room or what would have been the parlor in the old house, he could barely see in the shadows that seem to cling to the corners of the room. Only two dim lamps illuminated the room, but nothing seemed to be out of place or gave an indication of foul play. Before his eyes a shadow seemed to move and grow solid. Lorena appeared like a wraith. She was so pale that he didn't know how the shadows had concealed her. She was dressed in a black nightgown that was all satin and lace. Her hair hung down, but it seemed to have lost it's usual luster. Her eyes seemed to not focus on him and bloody tracks of dried blood lay on her cheeks.

"Are…are you alright?" he asked.

For a long moment, Lorena just stood there as if she hadn't heard him. Finally, she whispered, "No. I have been waiting for them to come for me and kill me just like they did to the others."

"No one is going to do that," said Eric. "I won't let that happen."

Lorena's eyes finally focused on him. "Yes, you have been a true friend."

"You say that as if it is such a rare thing," replied Eric.

"A vampire has few friends even among her own kind," said Lorena.

Lorena seemed to swoon and grow unsteady on her feet. Eric rushed to her and caught her just as she collapsed. He gently laid her on a sofa and tapped her cheeks in an effort to revive her. He could see that she was paler than usual and her skin was cold. As cold as the grave came his thoughts. Lorena's eyes fluttered open. Eric guessed the reason for her state.

"When was the last time that you fed?" he asked.

"I don't remember," she replied. "I… I was having a hard time seeing the point of going on."

"Don't talk like that," said Eric.

Lorena gave him a small smile. "You don't realize how special you are. You are so full of life that even someone like me could feel it when I was in your presence. I've been so lonely. Everyone else only sees a monster when they look at me."

"You're not a monster," said Eric.

Lorena closed her eyes, unwilling to gaze into his eyes. _But, you are a monster_, she told herself. _You have lied, cheated and killed your entire existence. That lonely wife who only wanted to hold her husband in her arms one more time died the night that she was turned. That human side of yourself was snuffed out, along with all your hopes and dreams. All that was left was this hunger that never seemed to be satisfied. _ Except, she forgot about it when she was with this boy. She wondered if he had the power to silence that hunger and tame her demons.

"You don't know me," she whispered. "You should go."

"Is there any Tru Bloods here?" asked Eric.

Lorena shook her head 'no'. "Like I said, just go."

"I can't leave you in this state," said Eric.

"What are you going to do? Save me?" asked Lorena.

With a flicker of anger, Eric said, "Maybe I should go back to Merlott's and broadcast that fact that you are weak and vulnerable and just waiting for someone to come and drive a stake in your heart."

"They'll come for me, sooner or later," she replied. "It might be a kindness."

"Don't say things like that," said Eric.

"I realize that you have the best intentions, but I'm not your concern," said Lorena.

"I still think of you as a friend," he softly said. "I've already saved your life once, maybe I just can't seem to stop myself."

Lorena looked up into those eyes that seemed so open and trusting. He was smarter than she had ever guessed he would be and seemed to be able to size most people up in an instant. Why wasn't he able to see right through her? Why were those exotic eyes looking at her with such trust and compassion? She didn't deserve it. She needed to make him go away and stop what she was doing. Surely, there was still a shred of the human Lorena Compton left inside of her. There had to be a trace of her old self that found the thought of deceiving this boy distasteful and wrong. Just as she opened her mouth to order him out of her house, he said something that stilled those words in her mouth.

"You are weak and I don't want to leave you alone while I go and get you some food," he said. "I guess that you will have to drink from me."

Lorena blinked as that raging hunger resurfaced. "W-what?"

"It's okay," said Eric. "But, just this once."

"Please, you have to go," pleaded Lorena. "I don't have the strength to refuse such an offer."

But, he didn't go. He sat on her sofa and looked down on her with concern. She fought to keep her fangs retracted, but they ached for release. Her hunger gnawed at her. Even though she tried to stop those thoughts, she began to wonder who his blood would taste. He still smelled so unbelievably good and the loss of his virginity seemed to have dulled his scent very little. She was sure that he would taste like honey. She still remembered what honey had tasted like. But, she was sure that there would be an undercurrent of something else mixed in with that sweetness. Would she detect some exotic spice in his blood? Or, would there be a tart aftertaste that would cause her mouth to pucker with delight? Her fevered musings on his blood were interrupted when Eric slid his hand into hers and lifted it to her mouth. It wasn't the way that she wanted to bite him. She had wanted to feel him naked underneath her as she plunged her fangs into his throat. But, beggars can't be choosers. She looked into his pretty eyes and lost herself in their depths. She didn't know how long she looked into his eyes. Five seconds or five minutes. Her silent heart seemed to clench in her chest at his desire to try and save her. When was the last time that anyone had cared about her? Her emotions suddenly became a minefield that she was afraid to traverse. She raised a hand to his soft, silky hair. Unable to control herself, her fangs dropped with a snick.

"I can't hold myself back much longer," she softly said. "I…I want you too much."

"You don't deserve what happened to Malcolm and the others," Eric said, staring into her eyes.

_Oh, yes I do_, thought Lorena. _If you had any idea of the creature that I really was, you wouldn't be here with me, right now. You're just an insignificant human who I will use the way that I have always done. You are such a naïve fool to think that you can change me. Or, that you can change Sookie. Because Sookie and I have one thing in common, we take what we want. And you, my delicious little friend, are caught between two vampires who will stop at nothing to have you._ Lorena managed to shut the door on those emotions that seemed to have sprung from a place that she didn't know she had. She was back on familiar ground again. Not giving Eric a chance to back out of his offer, she sank her fangs into his wrist. As she pulled his blood into her mouth, it succeeded in being more delicious than she could have ever imagined. The only thing sweeter than this would be to have his cock inside her at the same time. She moaned in pleasure and vowed to experience every thing that he had to offer. This little taste of heaven was not enough. She hadn't given up on him, not by a long shot.

**A/N: **It is not Lorena's nature to give up her objectives. Yet, as we saw from a glimpse inside her head, she is not completely evil. She's close, though. She has manipulated the circumstances and managed drive a wedge between Sookie and Eric who have yet to see each other since the reveal at the end of last chapter. Lorena fights Eric's influence and is afraid of those changes that might result from it. Sookie seems afraid of admitting what she feels for Eric, but I didn't see her as trying to deny that she does feel something for him.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Okay, a lot of you were surprised at Eric's offer of his blood to Lorena last chapter. But, it wasn't a budding romantic feeling between them. Eric had a couple of reasons for doing it, which are explained in this chapter. So, no, Eric wasn't pulling a silly Sookie completely. Give the boy some credit. The second part of this chapter deals with a meeting of Eric and Sookie. There is some citrus here, but in between the lemons is some very important conversation.

Chapter 13

Eric and Lorena's Heart to Heart?

"Does my blood taste different?" asked Eric.

He stared down at Lorena in a clinically dispassionate manner. Her eyes were closed as if in bliss and they had been from the moment that she had sucked his first drop of blood down, along with a faint moan. It was a curious response, he thought. He had never had the opportunity to observe Sookie's reactions to drinking from him since he was otherwise engaged during those times. True, he had offered her his blood because she was weakened and he wanted to heal her, but he had another reason for allowing this intimate contact.

Lorena's eyes fluttered open at his voice and those dreamy eyes finally focused on him. With reluctance, she moved her lips away from his wrist. "W-What?" she asked.

Eric easily evaded her grasp and pulled his wrist away from her. He stared down at her with a gaze that was no longer quite so warm. "I said, does my blood taste different?"

Lorena took a quick moment to weigh her options. Did she dare tell him the truth? But, she felt that she owed him something for the gift of his blood and she hated feeling that way.

"Yes," she finally admitted.

Eric lowered his gaze from her eyes and looked down at his wrist. There was seeping blood on his skin from her puncture wounds. He dragged his finger into this blood and brought it to his lips. With his eyes back on Lorena, he sucked and licked the blood off his finger as she watched this action with a sensual longing in her eyes. For all their powers, he thought, they had a weakness for him. Why?

"It tastes like regular blood to me," he said with another lick that Lorena watched with fascination.

"I would say that the vampire sense of taste is more developed than yours," replied Lorena. Her eyes moved to his wrist and found her fang marks. "Do you want me to heal those," she said, as she tried to keep the yearning out of her voice.

"No thanks," said Eric. "I've had more than enough contact with vampire blood lately."

"I warned you that you couldn't trust Sookie," said Lorena. "She tricked you, didn't she?"

Eric flashed back to that moment. A moment that should have been one of his most treasured memories. But, though the memory of his first time was still one of his best, there was a shadow over it. His eyes turned back to Lorena and they grew colder.

"Are you any better?" he asked. "You offered me the blood that the Rattrays had drained from you in the hopes that I would accept it. You wanted me to have your blood just as much as Sookie did. She just was sneakier about it."

Lorena's eyes widened as she realized that Eric was aware of her deception. "Why did you offer me your blood if you think that I'm capable of trying to manipulate you that way?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

"I wanted you to tell me the truth about my blood," said Eric. "I was sure that there must be some other reason for your and Sookie's interest in me besides my charming personality."

Lorena studied him, now rather clinically. "Your plan worked," she said. "I have to say that it was rather 'vampire' like of you to attempt such a shrewd move."

"Is that a compliment?" asked Eric.

"No, not really," replied Lorena. "If it was your only motivation."

For a moment, Eric's gaze grew troubled. "I feel that you and your kind view feelings and compassion as a weakness. I tried to steal myself from feeling anything for you. But, the truth is that I still hope that there is a trace of the human Lorena Compton left inside of you," he said.

Suddenly, Eric felt the need to get away from her because there was a part of him that felt just as ruthless as she was. He had dangled the tempting fruit of his blood in front of her to get her to talk to him. There was another even more ruthless side of him that was whispering to him. It was telling him that if he spread her legs and gave her another thing that she wanted that she might tell him just about anything else that he wanted to know.

"The human Lorena Compton is buried in the cemetery that lies between our homes," said Lorena. "Right beside her husband and her child who died of the pox."

"Are you so sure?" asked Eric.

"Is it really me that you're so interested in finding out how much if any of my humanity is left?" asked Lorena. "Or, is it because you are wondering if Sookie has anything that even resembles a human being inside of her?"

She had hit the nail on the head, thought Eric. An insight into Lorena was also an insight into Sookie. But, Eric felt that he had gotten everything that he was going to get out of Lorena, tonight. He didn't want to mentally spar with a creature that had over a hundred and fifty years of experience over him anymore this evening. Short of offering her something more than his blood, he had little to influence her. He rose and walked to her front door.

"I will tell you that Sookie is a vampire, just like me," her voice came behind him. "But, I'm only a hundred and seventy years old," she said. "And, I know that you think I hardly resemble the human that I used to be before I was turned vampire. Sookie is over a thousand years old, Eric. Do you really think that she has any capacity for human love left in her cold vampire heart?"

Eric closed the door and walked outside. He hurried home to Gran, but Lorena's words followed him long afterwards. They replayed over and over inside his head on a seemingly endless loop. Could he ignore one vampire's clinical examination of another member of her kind?

Nocturnal Visitation

"Eric."

It was a soft and feminine voice that tickled his senses. It just managed to penetrate his sleep and it sounded like the faintest of whispers. He tossed restlessly in bed, as if trying to evade that voice in his sleep. Just as he was sinking back down to a deeper level of sleep, the voice came again, a little louder this time.

"Eric."

Eric opened his eyes and sat up in bed. His eyes roved around his darkened room and searched. The moonlight shining through his window left a patch of blue color on his floor that illuminated his discarded jeans and tee shirt. His eyes and ears couldn't detect the presence of anything or anyone else in his room besides himself. He had just started to lie back down when the voice came once more.

"Eric."

Eric gasped as he realized that the voice had come from inside his head. A shiver passed over him and that only served to increase his fear. The voice dripped with seduction. He got up and warily peered out his window. He saw a figure in a dark cloak who was illuminated by the moonlight. He looked closer and could tell that the cloak was blood red and not black. He watched as two pale, white hands came up and slipped the hood of the cloak down. The face of the figure who stood outside and was calling to him was revealed. Sookie looked up at him and her brown eyes stared into his blue ones. Eric wondered if he was having another wet dream about her. She invaded his dreams almost every night. Her soft moans and teasing smile seemed to taunt him as he took her every way imaginable. He grew aroused at the thought of another of these nocturnal dreams even though they only served to increase his frustration afterwards. Turning away from the window, he grabbed his jeans and tee shirt from the floor and tugged them on. He slipped his feet into a pair of flip-flops and moved outside to check out this apparition from a more close up view. He slowly approached her and they stood for a long moment and didn't say anything to each other. He didn't know how long that they stared into each other's eyes. It seemed as everything had grown silent except for the loud beating of his heart. Sookie wordlessly held out her hand and, after a moment of hesitation, Eric slipped his fingers into hers. Her eyes seemed to pierce him and see into those places that he wanted to hide away from her. Just as he was about to snatch his hand away, she turned and began leading him into the woods.

"Wait, is this a dream?" asked Eric.

Sookie looked back at him, but didn't stop taking him deeper into the trees. "Does it matter?" she asked.

"I'm still mad at you," said Eric. "If you are real, then I shouldn't be giving into you this easily."

Sookie smirked sexily. "Does that mean that you have been giving it up to me on a nightly basis in your dreams?"

Eric tried unsuccessfully from keeping an embarrassed look off his face. Sookie only smiled bigger in her amusement. "Somebody's a naughty boy," she teased.

She had stopped by a large tree that spread it's branches into the darkened night sky. Eric tried not to look up at the moon and the twinkling stars. He tried not to think about what a beautiful sight Sookie was as the moonlight bathed her pale skin. He tried to tell himself that this was a dream and he was back home inside his warm bed. Sookie squeezed his hand and caused Eric to turn his eyes to hers. Those mischievous brown eyes promised all sorts of wicked temptations and he felt his resolve to resist her weakening. Was he so weak? Or, was there another much more serious reason for forgetting how angry he was at her?

He pressed his lips into a thin line of determination and shook off her hand. He tried not to notice the flash of pain in her eyes that lasted for only a millisecond. "You can't just think that you can drag me out here and I'm going to sleep with you just because you look at me that way," he said.

"What way would that be?" asked Sookie, innocently.

Her fingers rose and unclasped the robe that fell in a puddle at her feet. Eric wanted to look away, but his eyes refused to budge from the sight before him. Sookie was dressed in a white slip of a thing, that was all satiny and lace. It looked pale blue in the moonlight. It should have said innocence, but it screamed wicked delights to him. He was completely hard in an instant and he felt himself losing control of his thought processes as something more primitive began to take over.

"You're not nice," hoarsely said Eric, with his eyes never leaving her.

"Are you just now figuring that out, Sweetheart?" asked Sookie in a sultry voice that held the promise of sensual things to come.

Eric nervously fidgeted in an effort to relieve the growing discomfort in his jeans. Sookie's eyes zeroed in on that movement and then moved to the telltale sign of her effect on him as a knowing smile graced her lips.

"Why don't you make this easy on both of us and just give in?" she said, her voice seeming to slide over him with more insistence.

Was she trying to glamour him? He felt a moment of anger, but only saw earnestness in her eyes as she continued to gaze at him. "I'm not one of your vampire groupies that you can have your way with," he said, still trying to hold out against her.

"There aren't any vampire groupies waiting for me back at Fangtasia," said Sookie. "I only have eyes for you, these days."

Eric couldn't read her mind and his logical side was telling him not to believe her. But, something inside was telling him that she was speaking the truth. Sookie took a step closer to him. He could then smell her intoxicating fragrance that was so subtle that he had to be this close to her to detect it. The force that was Sookie invaded his senses and he felt the effects pass over him. His respiration increased and his heart seemed to leap in his chest. His lips tingled with the desire to taste hers to the point that he wondered if he was starting to drool. His fingers itched with the need to touch her. Don't do that, came a warning voice in his head. His logical mind had resurfaced from the dark recesses of his primitive brain. He took a calming breath and thought that maybe this battle of wills wasn't lost yet. That hope lasted for all of five seconds because, after those seemingly long five seconds passed, Sookie pulled a dirty trick. She reached out and touched him.

Eric's breath caught and his eyes closed. He almost groaned in either relief or aggravation at her cunning. Those roving fingertips ignited a path of heated blood as they traversed over his body. When they moved between his legs and caressed him, he knew that he was lost. Hopelessly and completely lost. Throwing his determination to the wind, he pulled her into a tight embrace and crushed his lips against hers. He was consumed by his need to possess her. Right or wrong. Dream or reality. It no longer mattered to him.

His tongue slipped into her sweet mouth as her hands eagerly pulled him close. Before he knew what was happening, they were on top of the cloak and their clothes were a distant memory. With his lips locked on hers, he entered her in one long, smooth thrust. Sookie gave a gasp of surprise at his suddenness. But, he had been tormented by her dreams, night after night. Foreplay was over. Now, he wanted his due. He moved with a pent up hunger and frustration as he covered her small body and took her with a need that frightened him. But, he didn't stop and, instead of resisting, Sookie dropped her fangs with a vampire-sounding moan and grabbed him tighter. Her delicate nails raked across his butt and spurred him to ravish her even more thoroughly.

"I've missed this so," she moaned.

In response, he pulled out of her as she made a noise of surprise and disappointment. He changed their position until she was on her hands and knees. He grabbed her hips and pulled her onto his aching and throbbing shaft. He watched her cheeks quiver with every thrust and he kept that relenting rhythm going. But, one of his hands gently trailed up her back.

"I'm sorry, I want you too badly to be gentle," he said, hoarsely.

"I won't break," gasped Sookie.

"We'll see," replied Eric as he moved his hand back to her hip. He gripped her tightly and pulled her back against him. He knew that she would have bruised from his touch if she were human. He had a brief moment to think that. at least here, he was the one calling the shots. It was a power that he didn't have any plans of giving up until he was good and ready.

Later when they both were spent, he rested his head against the soft slope of her ass and nipped at one of her cheeks. He was careful not to break the skin. Fool me twice, he thought. Sookie let out a soft squeal that turned into a contented sigh as Eric replaced his teeth with his lips and gave her a kiss. His hands caressed her silky, soft thighs as the reality of the situation began to sink in. All she had to do was crook her adorable little finger and enticed him with the promise of passionate sex and he had come running.

"You're thinking again," said Sookie.

"Can you read my mind, now?" asked Eric.

Sookie started to move her position and Eric moved to allow her to roll over. She cradled his head in her lap and ran her fingers through his shaggy hair that was damp with perspiration. Eric closed his eyes like a contented kitten at her touch. He then turned his head so that he could look up at her. Her eyes were as dark as midnight and her mind was a closed book to his senses. Sookie's eyes roved over his body and her fingers trailed across his skin with a light but seductive touch. He watched as her eyes paused at the juncture of his legs. Well, maybe, he could read some of her thoughts after all, he amended.

"I think that you have seen one of those things before," he said.

"A few," Sookie smirked. "But, can I help it if I positively adore yours?"

"Is that all about me that you adore?" asked Eric.

"No, you're a complete package," softly said Sookie. She once again began to touch him with that light, but impossible to ignore touch.

"So, my dick isn't the only thing that keeps you coming back," said Eric. "Or, is it the taste of my blood?"

Sookie's eyes turned back to his face and slightly narrowed. "What about your blood? If that was all that I wanted from you, I would have already sunk my fangs into you and taken it," she said.

She hadn't bitten him, thought Eric. But, from the position they were in that would have been impossible. He had little doubt that she still had designs on his blood tonight.

"I know that I taste different from other humans," he said.

"Different? Different doesn't even begin to describe just how you taste," she replied. Those brown eyes of hers focused a strange intensity on him that caused a fluttering of butterflies in his stomach. A weird expression came over her. "You taste like pure unadulterated sweetness. Your blood is like a liquid drug and I almost wish that I had never tasted you."

"Why?" asked Eric.

"Because I don't like feeling so…..so lost," she replied, looking away.

"When I first saw you, tonight," said Eric. "I was hoping that you were a dream. That way I could do as I wished and not have any complications except for an annoying wet spot on my sheets."

Sookie turned back to look at him. "I'm a complication?"

"Yes," replied Eric. "Nothing in my life is ever going to be the same. I can never forget you, even if I wanted to."

Sookie's hands began to touch him again and he wondered if she was distracting him or if she just craved the feel of his skin. "If there was a power to erase your memory, would you want that? To take away the memories of me and what we have done together?"

"No," said Eric, honestly.

Sookie flashed a relieved smile that appeared real. She was hard to read as a rule, he thought. She displayed emotions, but they were like a mask that she pulled over herself. It was a protective measure that she had developed as a vampire to appear human. The real Sookie who remembered how to show her feelings was hiding under a thousand years of vampire experiences. Lorena had been right about that. Sookie and Lorena had to adapt and change in order to survive in a world that did not tolerate their kind.

"You seem very pleased about that," said Eric.

"It does please me to know that I am a complication that you can't easily wash your hands of and forget," she replied.

"Is it your nature to make things for me difficult?" he asked.

"It's my nature to not let you off so easily," smirked Sookie.

"What else is your nature?" asked Eric. "To take what you want because you can?"

"Yes, but…" replied Sookie. She tried to avoid his eyes and her hands stilled.

But, Eric would not be so easily avoided. "But, what?" he pressed.

"I find myself not behaving normally in regards to you," she admitted. "You make me question things."

"Is that so bad?" asked Eric, with a little smile.

"I don't like it," she replied.

"Good," said Eric.

Sookie turned a dark expression on him and a little furrow developed between her brows, which Eric found intriguing. He suddenly wanted to run his tongue over that crease. Instead, he said, "At least, I make you feel something. It's a start. In time, I just might manage to wrap you around my little finger."

"I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't like that," replied Sookie.

"Is the big, bad vampire afraid of little human me?" said Eric with a tiny smile.

Sookie tilted her head and examined him. "That prospect excites you, doesn't it?"

Eric pulled her astride him and moved his hips against her. "I think that my condition is plainly obvious."

"You wicked human," hissed Sookie, moving with him. "You make me want to melt."

"Careful, you wouldn't want anyone else to know that your cold vampire heart is capable of defrosting," he said, as he pulled her down for a kiss.

"Only for you, Eric," she sighed, as she arched above him. "Only for you."

Goodnight

After a much slower session of sex, Sookie brought Eric back home. As she stood to say goodbye, her eyes passed over Gran's house.

"We need to get you your own place," she said. "If I wasn't a vampire, I would have bruises all over my back from your vigorous antics tonight."

"When we find Gran's attacker," said Eric.

Sookie was pleased to note that Eric had said the word 'we'. "I'll find you a place," she said. "Close by, but not so close that you have to worry about what anyone thinks of my comings and goings."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks about your comings and goings," replied Eric. His eyes focused on Sookie and he added, "I'm sure that you would pay for it, too."

"Well, of course," she replied with confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I am not some kind of kept pet," said Eric. "I can't accept such an arrangement."

"You would earn every penny that I spent on you," replied Sookie with a leer.

For a moment, visions of just what sorts of payment that Sookie was talking about ran through his mind. Eric shrugged them off and said, "That isn't the point."

"Fine, find your own place," Sookie said. "It's only you that I would be coming to see anyway, not your surroundings."

Eric allowed a little smile to show. It had been much easier than he thought to get her to see his point of view. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"That was the best make up sex that I have ever had," he said.

"It's the only make up sex that you have ever had," replied Sookie. "But, did we really make up and resolve everything or did we just have exciting sex?"

Eric paused. "I'm not sure."

"You know what that means, don't you?" asked Sookie, coyly.

"No, what?"

"It means that we can have make up sex again," she said. "Maybe, tomorrow night."

"You have a dirty mind and a libido to match, Sookie Stackhouse," said Eric. "But, I like the way you think."

It was then in the light of the porch light that Sookie's eyes fell on the small punctures on Eric's wrist. Her eyes narrowed and she clutched his hand.

"Who has dared to bite you?" she demanded.

Eric tried to pull his hand away, but her grip on him was iron-clad. He tugged to no avail.

"Who's fang marks are these?" Sookie demanded in a low voice that was suddenly coiled with venom.

"You don't own me," replied Eric. He felt her anger, but knew that it wasn't directed at him. She loosened her grip and Eric pulled away his arm.

"It is a serious breech of vampire etiquette," she said. Even if Eric might view himself as independent, she still viewed it as another vampire poaching on her territory. And if that vampire was who she suspected, she was doubly incensed.

"I willingly offered," said Eric.

"What?" replied Sookie, trying to cover up the hurt in her voice. It was more than loud enough to her vampire ears. She looked away for a moment until Eric reached out and pulled her back to him. She stared into a pair of blue eyes that held a look of satisfaction in them.

"You can't hide your feelings from me," he said. "You've had lots of practice to not feel anything. So, when you do slip up and allow a genuine feeling to leak out, it can't be concealed from me."

"That gives you power over me," replied Sookie trying to compose her face into an unreadable visage.

Eric paused a moment as he tried to figure out how to word his thoughts. "The only people who have the power to hurt you emotionally are those people who you give that power to."

"Are…are you saying that I'm giving you the power to potentially hurt me?" she asked.

"Yes," said Eric. "It's a telling symptom of something even more terrible."

Sookie's eyes widened with alarm for a second. "What could be worse than that?"

"Trust," replied Eric with a smug smile.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I wanted to explain in a little more detail about Eric and Sookie's conversation from the last chapter. I guess that I didn't do a very good job of getting into their heads and letting you hear their thoughts. I have another chapter with Eric where we get some more information about his feelings that is in the works. But, I don't think of this Eric as a gusher, who opens up very easily. Listening to everyone's sometimes dark thoughts and being on the outside looking in for most of his life has made this Eric more guarded in the way he deals with people. So, he is taking a leap of faith to let Sookie into his heart. What he wants back is for her to return the favor, so to speak. He knows that she has to be a vampire to survive, but he also wants her to let down her defenses around him, like he is willing to do with her. When he said, "the only people who have the power to hurt you emotionally are those who you give that power to", he was saying that only those people who you allow to get close to you and who you care about can hurt you because they matter to you. He wants their relationship to progress and the only way it can is if they are able to trust each other. Why didn't he say the L word? Well, again, I see this Eric as being cautious with his feelings or at least trying to. In many ways, he is like our vampire Sookie. He might be in love, but he's not ready to say it.

Now, this chapter starts with Lafayette being a guest of vampire Sookie. And we see that she is very much like Eric from the show. And not like him at the same time. Jason and Amy are also in here, as they take a wild V trip (again). But, the fun and games for those two are coming to an end, methinks.

Chapter 14

I

Lafayette groaned as awareness began to seep back into his senses. He first noticed that he was lying on something cold and hard. He pushed himself off the cement floor into a sitting position and looked around. He first noticed that he was chained like a dog with a collar around his neck. His fingers touched the links of the sturdy chain as it led to a metal pole. Blinking, he saw that the pole hung down from the ceiling along with four others. He was the only occupant at the moment. _This is definitely not good. _He sat on his haunches and tried to remember how he had gotten here. He had come home from work and just as he exited his car, everything went black. He hadn't heard anything and he hadn't seen anything until he woke up here. He ran his hands over his body. His shirt and shoes were gone, but otherwise he was still dressed. Hopefully, that meant that some sexual deviant hadn't kidnapped him, he thought. And except for a headache, he didn't seem to be physically harmed. His eyes searched the shadows, but he couldn't see much. He appeared to be in some sort of basement.

It was then that the door at the top of the stairs was flung open and a shaft of light pierced the darkness, making Lafayette's eyes sting as he tried to see what was happening. In the ceiling above him, a bare bulb began to glow, but it gave only a feeble light. Lafayette looked to the top of stairs and a strange sight began to unfold. He saw a hooded man start down the steps. He was gripped by the scruff of his neck by a blonde woman. A small blonde woman who handled him as easily as if she were handling a child. Lafayette went on full alert and eased himself back as far as the chain would allow. The woman was wearing black leather pants and a glittery top that sparkled in the dim light. She propelled the man down the steps and kept him from stumbling in the process. She was humming a little tune and her voice must have clued the man into the fact that she was a female.

"Let me go, you vamp bitch," he growled.

_Vampire. Oh, shit, this is bad. _Lafayette tried to control the trembling in his limbs without success. The blonde vampire smiled at his words and slammed him face first into the wall. The hooded man uttered a guttural groan and seemed to slump in her hands, but she dragged him along as if he weighed nothing.

"Oopsies," she said. "Watch your step. You never know when a wall is just going to pop up out of nowhere."

Humming her little lively tune, she brought him to a pole and shoved him down to the floor. With her hands moving in a blur, she padlocked a collar around him and ripped off the hood. She then ran her hands down her pants as if she had detested touching him. Lafayette saw that the man was Royce Williams and watched as he blinked several times as his eyes tried to adjust to the light. A small trickle of blood ran down from Royce's nose. The vampire stared coldly down at him.

"That little tap was a warning, human," she said. "You would be wise to address me in a manner of more respect."

She turned her eyes on Lafayette, which caused him to scuttle as far away as possible. Those cold eyes held little promise for mercy and Lafayette clamped his teeth together to keep them from chattering.

"Enjoy my hospitality," she said. "We'll have a nice get to know each other chat very soon."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. As she sauntered up the steps, as if without a care in the world, she began humming that tune again. Once she left, the light was turned off and Lafayette and Royce were alone in the dark. _Fuck, thought Lafayette, if I'm going to die, do I have to spend my last moments with this redneck asshole?_

Sookie breezed into her office. It was close to dawn, but she wanted to shower before leaving Fangtasia. She didn't want to take the stench of that human home. Royce Williams was his name and she had seen his type before. She doubted that her kind had ever done anything personally to him, but he hated vampires all the same. She shrugged. She knew his kind all too well, having encountered prime examples of his type more times than she cared to remember. If it wasn't vampires, he would have targeted another group as the object of his hatred. Now, she had no great love for Malcolm and his gang, but it was her duty as sheriff to follow through and dispense vampire justice. Had the police authorities in Bon Temps even looked upon Malcolm, Diane and Liam's death as a crime? Vampires were one of the few groups left that could be targeted with violence with few, if any, consequences from the human authorities. That's why vampires had always taken matters into their own hands. Every kingdom was divided into areas and every area had a designated sheriff who was responsible for overseeing the vampires who resided in his area. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, it had always been so.

Sookie's thoughts turned to the other human in her dungeon. Now, he was a different matter. She had seen a keen intelligence radiating out of his frightened eyes. Well, maybe not so intelligent, she amended. He was reluctant guest of her accommodations. He had fucked up and now he was going to pay the price. Lafayette. It was a flamboyant name for a flamboyant character. She had done her research on him while he was down there. A jack of all trades, he was. But, he carefully hid the real Lafayette behind all those different faces. She would strip away all those layers until she got to the core. She would meet the real Lafayette Reynolds. But, whatever she found hiding behind those intriguing eyes, she knew the one thing that she wouldn't find. He wasn't a killer. If he had been selling Eddie Gauthier's blood, the arrangement had been consensual. Sookie gave a little smile. She could guess the terms of such an arrangement. But, unfortunately for Lafeyette , selling vampire blood was still a crime and a very serious one.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," said Pam, coming into the office.

Sookie gave a sly grin. She did feel wonderful. She found her mood so much better since she was again seeing Eric. The boy seemed a little hesitant and she was sure that he had not completely forgiven her for her subterfuge over the blood incident. Yet, he seemed as drawn to her as she was to him.

"I can guess who is responsible," added Pam. "I've never seen a pet make you happier."

"He isn't a pet," said Sookie, sternly. _What am I saying? Of course, he had to be thought of in those terms. Yet, it seemed a grave insult to think of him in that manner. I've had pets before, but I've never felt this way about any of them._

"I see," said Pam, quietly.

Sookie looked up at her child and saw that her child didn't 'see'. She could feel a low simmer of jealousy from Pam even though they were not lovers. Even though, Sookie didn't want to discuss this topic, she owed some sort of explanation to Pam.

"He is….different," said Sookie. "Special. But, what I feel for him does not diminish you in any way. You are still my child. Blood of my blood."

Sookie gently ran her fingers over Pam's chin. She had never regretted her decision to turn Pam all those years ago. Pam might have her quirks, but she had been steadfastly loyal. She saw a flicker of a smile of Pam's face and Sookie caressed her cheek. "There's no one else like you, darling Pam. And if there were, surely the world would implode from too much of a good thing."

In spite of herself, Pam felt herself warming to this compliment. Sookie had always been honest with her from the moment that they had met. She might be joking a little and charming her, but Pam could sense the genuine affection for her coming from her maker. What she was going to say next would put a damper on her maker's pleasant mood.

"Sookie, I met with Bruce the accountant today and he says that sixty thousand dollars is missing from the accounts," said Pam.

Sookie paused as she considered this information. "Make sure that Bruce keeps quiet about this and doesn't decide to skip town. Inform him as to what would happen if he chooses to do something so…..foolish. I will deal with this after we are through with our guests downstairs."

II

Lafayette sat in his grimy clothes and listened to Royce drone on. The man seemed to be afraid of silence and insisted on filling it with his voice. The disgusting smells from the bucket that was used as their toilet assailed his nose along with the ripe smell of his own body. It was completely dark down here and Lafayette didn't know how long he had been down here for sure. He groaned out loud after listening to Royce's story about a girl who could crush beer cans with her boobs who had somehow been responsible for the injury that had resulted in his artificial hip. Had he already died and gone to hell? Because the longer he spent down here with Royce the more likely that idea became. Who would miss him? Sadly, he realized that probably the only person who would truly mourn him was Tara. When Royce began on another story about some homosexual experience in some summer boy's camp, Lafayette had reached his limit.

"Can you be quiet for one motherfuckin minute?" he hissed, in a low voice.

Royce seemed genuinely shocked at Lafayette's outburst. "I thought that we were getting to know one another," he said. "I was trying to make up for being such a jerk to you. You know, about you being a homo and all."

Lafayette eyed the length of Royce's chain and wondered if he could choke him into silence. "Bitch, we are not having a bonding moment, okay," he replied.

"I'm sorry for the aids burger stuff," said Royce. He gave a little smile and said, "But, you sure showed me. I felt that punch for days. Not bad for a gay fry cook."

Lafayette didn't completely buy the apology. He was sure the moment that they got out of here Royce would revert to his usual charming self. If they ever got out of here, he thought. "Fine, apology accepted," muttered Lafayette, in surrender.

Royce sat up and gave a sly smile. "I'm busting out of here."

"Don't try anything stupid," said Lafayette. "These are vampires, remember? And, keep you voice down, you stupid redneck."

"I'll send the police back for you," he said.

"Shhhh," urged Lafayette. "I'm telling you to be quiet."

It was then that the door to the basement was flung open and the blonde vampire appeared. She was wearing a hairdresser's cape around her front and her long hair had foil highlights layered within the strands. Lafayette's eyes widened. Do vampires color their hair? He sat up on alert as the vampire skipped down the steps, still humming that annoying tune from the last time he saw her. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and smiled. That smile sent a ripple of fear rushing through Lafayette.

"Oh, shhhing won't help, Sweetheart," she said. "We hear everything."

With a flourish, she removed the cape and displayed simple black jeans and a black women's tank top. "Since, you made me come all the way down here, I think that I'll take out the garbage."

She walked over to Royce and took out a key. As she was unlocking him, she said, "Royce Williams, we have some questions for you in regards to the murder of three of our kind."

"I don't know anything about that," Royce replied.

The blonde vampire laced her fingers in Royce's hair and took a grip on him. She pulled him to his feet and held him out in front of her.

"I'll find out if that is true or not. I don't appreciate lies," she said.

Suddenly, Royce pulled out a necklace that he had hidden in one of his jeans pockets. He swiveled back and slammed it into the vampire's cheek. The vampire immediately let go of Royce and cried out in pain. Lafayette watched with wide eyes as she started to peel it out of her skin with trembling fingers. Her skin smoked and the necklace seemed to have embedded itself into her check. He saw strands of her skin that turned into the consistency of goo as she pulled the links of the necklace off of her face. As the silver cross tinkled to the cement floor, Royce had reached the stairs and was moving up them. But the vampire moved in a flash and grabbed his ankle. She bared her fangs and made a growling sound as she dragged him back down the steps. She then took hold of his leg and threw him into the wall as if he were a rag doll. Lafayette heard a crunching sound that he knew was bones breaking as Royce's cries were abruptly cut short. He scuttled back as far as his chain would allow and tried to hide behind a column. Peeking around the side, he saw the blonde vampire grab Royce and lift him into her hands as she savagely sank her fangs into his side. When she started to rip him limb for limb, Lafayette closed his eyes against the terrifying sight and trembled in fear and shock. After she was done, there was only an ominous silence in the basement.

"If you have any silver on you, now is the time to say something," she said, as blood poured out of her mouth. Maybe, Royce had left a bad taste in her mouth, thought Lafayette.

"I ain't that stupid."

"Yes, you are, Lafayette," she said, looking over at him. It was then that she noticed the damage that had been done to her hair. She gave a cry of dismay as her bloody fingertips touched the ends of her hair. She kicked a piece of Royce and sent it flying across the floor. "Dammit, nobody fucks with my hair."

She made a hissing sound and moved to the stairs. "Wait," said Lafayette. "Are…are you just going to leave him here like this?"

She turned back and gave him a little smile. "Oh, come on. He's much more pleasant company this way. You don't have to worry about his incessant chattering now."

She turned back to the stairs with a sigh. "Now, I have to face the wrath of Pam."

Lafayette trembled. Whoever the fuck this Pam was, if the little blonde vampire who had just torn Royce to shreds was afraid of her, Lafayette definitely didn't want to meet her.

III

Sometime later, Sookie had Longshadow bring up Lafayette from the basement. Longshadow roughly pushed him into a chair as Lafayette's eyes flew around the room. As those wide eyes found her, they grew even wider. She sat behind her desk with Pam standing to the side of her. Longshadow remained by the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sookie twirled a finger through her hair. Pam had been completely aggravated by the episode in the dungeon. She had been forced to trim off a few inches of her hair and layer it. But that had inspired her to give her a loose perm and little spiral ringlets adorned Sookie's head.

"Like it?" asked Sookie.

Pam hissed. "I had been dying to change your hairstyle, but not this way."

"He took silver to me, Pam," said Sookie. She turned to Lafayette and added, "You were there. You saw what happened, defend me."

"I'm here because of the V, right?" asked Lafayette.

"Bingo," replied Sookie.

"Look, is it my supplier you want? Or, my customers who buy it?" asked Lafayette. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

"So much for complete confidentiality," mused Pam.

"Fuck that, if there is a chance of getting my black ass out of here, I'm taking it," said Lafayette. He stared at Sookie. "What do you want to know?"

Sookie looked up and nodded at Pam who began moving to the door. She turned her cold eyes on Longshadow. "That will be all," she said. "Pam and I can handle things from this point on."

"What?" said Longshadow. "I thought that we were interrogating him."

"I was interrogating him, not you," said Sookie. "But, Pam and I want to have some fun with him first. To soften him up a little. I believe you can guess the kind of fun that I'm talking about?"

Sookie gave a little smile. "We sometimes get quite loud in our enthusiasm. I don't want to worry about you listening in, so you will find somewhere else to be."

"He smells," sniffed Longshadow.

"We like them dirty," replied Sookie. "Don't we, Pam?"

"Hey, wait a minute," began Lafayette. "I don't swing that way."

"Oh, Sweetheart," replied Sookie. "You will swing anyway that I tell you to."

Lafayette watched anxiously as Longshadow left the room. Pam was a taller, darker blonde vampire and he watched her move to the door, as if to make sure that he didn't make a run for it. So, this was the infamous Pam, thought Lafayette. The last thing he wanted was to get near her, let alone get busy with her. What would she do to him if he didn't do it right? Could he just drop down to his knees and beg for mercy? Would either of these cold-hearted vampires have pity on him?

The vampires were still a moment as if listening and then Pam turned from the door and said, "He's gone."

Sookie sat up at her desk and rested her elbows on her desk as she examined Lafayette all over again.

"Now, we can speak freely," she said. "Eddie Gauthier and you had an arrangement, I take it?"

"Yes," replied Lafayette.

"Did you hurt Eddie?"

"No, I swear I didn't," said Lafayette. "I liked Eddie, you've got to believe me."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know, I swear I don't," said Lafayette.

"Lafayette, I'm trying to be nice and give you the benefit of the doubt, here," said Sookie. "I could just torture the answers out of you, if you would prefer."

"Please, there's no need to do that," said Lafayette. "I….I think that Eddie was taken."

"By who?" asked Sookie.

"I don't know," said Lafayette.

Seeing Sookie give an aggravated glance in Pam's direction, he hurriedly turned to the other vampire and saw her step towards him. _Fuuuck!_

"Chill out!" cried Lafayette. "I don't know for sure, but….but I believe Jason Northman was involved."

Sookie's eyes grew colder and that was when Lafayette remembered that Jason's brother was seeing a vampire. _Lord, please have mercy, was it this vampire? Double fuck._

"What makes you think that?" she asked, intently looking at him.

"I went to Eddie's place when I couldn't reach him on the phone," said Lafayette. "Eddie's door was unlocked and I found a crushed cell phone on the floor. Jason's phone."

"Is Jason still in the company of the human, Amy Burly?" asked Sookie.

Lafayette wondered how she knew that. Then, he wondered how much she knew about him. "Yes, as far as I know," he replied.

Sookie twirled a pen on her desk and Lafayette piped up, "Please, I've given you everything that I know. Please, just let me go."

"Oh, we are not quite finished, you and I," she said. "I plan on getting to the bottom of this." She turned her eyes to Pam and said, "Bring the car around. We are going to take a little trip tonight."

V

Jason reached out and took Amy's hand. Her beautiful long, wavy hair trailed behind her on the breeze. She was wearing a gauzy dress that barely concealed her lithe form underneath the sheer fabric. She had never looked more beautiful than she did, right now, he thought. He then turned his eyes to the horizon. The sky was the most beautiful mix of orange and lavender. It was orange where the sun was setting, but turned lavender to violet in the heavens. He also saw two moons in the sky. One was huge, but it was only a crescent. The other was almost full and it hung in a blanket of faint twinkling stars. They had done the last of Eddie's blood together and made a promise to never do any more V again.

They were flying over a desert landscape of shimmering sand dunes. That's right, flying, thought Jason. Just like fucking Peter Pan. This must be Amy influencing their vision because how could he imagine a world so beautiful? He'd never even seen a desert before in his life. He grabbed Amy and pulled her close. After all the business with the V and Eddie, it was just gong to be them. Only the two of them were left standing. She was still the most interesting girl that he had ever met and she treated him like he was special. No one had ever thought that about him before. Eric had gotten all the specialness in the family. He was just dumb Jason, with only his looks and sex skills to make anyone take notice of him. However, he wasn't one to knock those sex skills. He didn't work out hard and watch a lot of porn for nothing. With his hands roving over Amy's body, he began to wonder how they would do it in this weightless environment. When his hand snaked under her skirt and cupped a bare cheek, Amy giggled and flew out of his reach.

"If you can catch me, you can have me," she teased.

With that she took off, skimming over the surface of the sand dunes. Jason admired the view for a second and then took off after her. But, Amy wasn't so easy to catch. She zigged and she zagged out of his reach. Faster and faster, they flew. They flew across some broken ruins that appeared on the top of a small hill and Jason stopped. It was mostly broken rubble and the sands were doing a good job of eliminating the evidence of some ancient civilization. But, he flew closer for a look. It almost reminded him of the pictures he had seen of ancient Egyptian or Greek ruins. A statue had toppled to the ground and Jason slowly descended to the ground. Walking closer, he noticed that the figure had pointed ears. Now, that was weird, he thought.

"Jason, this place is magical," gushed Amy.

"It should me," replied Jason. "It's from your dreams."

Amy moved in front of him and took his hand. "No, I could never imagine a place like this." She twirled around and said, "This is all you, Jason. From somewhere deep inside of you. You haven't even begun to tap your potential."

She let go of his hand and skipped away. She climbed onto a jumble of broken stone blocks and looked down on him. "I love you, Jason," she said.

Jason smiled and began to join her, when a loud roar split the silence of the twilight. He heard, rather than saw, the sounds of something approaching them. Something terrible.

"Amy, watch out!" he cried.

But, it was too late. Something crested over the top of the ruins and grabbed Amy in it's claws. It had massive wings which were beating at it hovered in place. The downdrafts caused the wind to stir and Jason's eyes were stung by the flying sand particles. Still, he wiped his eyes and tried to see what was happening. He could only glimpse huge wings, barren of feathers, and a sharp-pointed mouth with rows of teeth. Ignoring the danger, he scrambled to Amy and managed to grab her ankle. He held on and screamed, "No!"

That was when he tumbled off the bed and rolled onto a hard body. He was dazed and still suffering the after-effects of the V. But, he knew that it wasn't Amy's soft body that he had landed on. He looked up at the bed and saw that Amy was coughing and clutching at his belt, which was wrapped around her neck. The body underneath him started to move and Jason turned his eyes back. He saw a figure all dressed in black. Like a fucking ninja or something. Jason pounced on him and managed to hit him with a glancing blow. Their assailant's face was covered in a ski mask, but Jason could have sworn he saw him smile. The man elbowed Jason off of him and kicked Jason in the balls when he tried to stand. A swift knee to the stomach put Jason down on the floor as Amy finally ripped off the belt from her neck and screamed. The figure in black ran out of the bedroom as Amy got down on her knees by Jason's side. Jason was curled up in a fetal position with his hands between his legs and groaning loudly.

"Jason, Baby, are you alright?"

"Do I fucking look alright?" hissed Jason, with another loud groan.

"Hey, I'm the one that almost got strangled to death," hissed Amy, right back at him.

"Well, well, just what is going on here, Jason," came another voice.

Jason and Amy looked up from the floor to see Sookie, Pam and Lafayette in their bedroom. Oh, fuck, thought Jason, I think things just got even worse.

**A/N: **A little bit of a cliff-hanger. But, the conclusion of these events is already in the works. Sookie is Sheriff Sookie, now, and she is going to get to the bottom of Eddie's disappearance.

Jason and Amy's trip was different from the show. That alien landscape did come from Jason and it might be a long-lost genetic memory. He didn't get this Eric's 'specialness', but perhaps there is something of the Fae in him, after all. I'm really curious on the show if they will ever reveal whether Jason has the same parents as Sookie or give us a reason why he isn't a fairy. Are the fairy genes that random where one sibling can be a fairy and another isn't?

I do like writing Sookie and Pam together. Again, it is one of those relationships that is so wrong on the show.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **I made a little error at the end of last chapter and I didn't even notice it until the chapter had been up for a day. So, I decided to leave it and address the error at the beginning of this chapter. Did anyone notice that Sookie and Pam came into Jason's house without an invitation? Sorry, I forgot the vampire rules for a moment. Duh, silly me. So, this chapter starts with Amy and Jason on the floor of their bedroom after the assailant has left.

Chapter 15

I

As Amy was checking Jason, a loud knock on the front door was heard. Jason shoved off Amy's hands and managed to stand up. Walking with a pronounced limp, he grabbed the shotgun on the way to the front door.

"Wait!" cried Amy, trailing after him.

Jason ignored her and threw open the door. He didn't find the black-clad ninja intruder on his front step. Instead, a pretty woman who had blonde hair that curled into soft waves was standing there. She was dressed in black jeans and a black leather jacket and she stared at him with an unflinching gaze. Jason managed to look away from her magnetic eyes and he saw Lafayette and another blonde woman behind her. Lafayette was wearing a red Fangtasia tee shirt, but his feet were bare. Jason recognized the tall blonde woman as the vampire he met from Fangtasia that night that he had met Amy. Jason looked back to the first woman and wondered if she was a vampire, too.

"Is this how you greet all your visitors, Jason? With a loaded shotgun?" she asked.

Jason sheepishly lowered the gun. "I thought you were someone else. Someone broke into my house and attacked us."

"Just now?" asked the blonde woman, with narrowed eyes, as she examined the bruises on Amy's throat.

"Yes," replied Jason. "Who are you? And, how do you know me?"

"I'm Sookie," she replied. "I know Eric, so I know who you are. May we come inside?"

Amy appeared behind Jason and grabbed his arm. "No, don't let them inside. They're vampires."

"She's is Eric's girlfriend," said Jason.

It had been a long time since she had been thought of as belonging to someone else, thought Sookie. Yet, being called Eric's wasn't something that ruffled her feathers.

"Shut the door," pleaded Amy. "Don't let them in."

"What has gotten into you?" demanded Jason. "Is it because of the intruder?"

"We need to talk," said Sookie. "Invite us in."

"Jason, don't-" began Amy.

"Sure," said Jason, opening the door to allow them inside. "Is this about Gran or Eric?"

Sookie walked inside, flanked by Pam who had a grip on Lafayette's arm. Sookie watched as Pam took Lafayette to the sofa and pushed him down on it. She turned back to Jason.

"No, I'm here to talk about you, Jason," she said.

"Me?" asked Jason in confusion.

Sookie rolled her eyes and wondered if he was really this dense. How were Eric and Jason brothers, since they were complete opposites. Eric had gotten the smarts in the family that was clearly evident, she thought.

"That's right," said Sookie. "Excuse me a moment, but your attack calls for some immediate action."

Sookie pulled out a cell phone from her jacket and punched in a number. "Yes, this is Sookie. The killer broke into Eric brother's house. I need you here to check the woods and see if you can pick up the trail."

She hung up and dialed another number. "Yes, this is Sheriff Stackhouse. Everything is ready for you."

Sookie hung up again and faced Jason and Amy, who grabbed onto Jason's arm again.

"I rescind your invitation," said Amy.

Sookie gave her a smile that did not touch her eyes. "Nice try, but this house belongs to Jason and you are just a guest here."

"Jason, please, tell them to leave," she pleaded. "Rescind their invitations."

"What has gotten into you?" demanded Jason, pulling his arm away from her.

"She's frightened," answered Sookie. "With good reason."

"Huh?" said Jason.

Sookie pressed her lips together and waved at the sofa and chairs. "Sit down, please, so we can get on with things."

Jason took a seat and warily looked at her. "Can I throw you out?"

"Yes, you have that power," replied Sookie. "But, it won't help you."

"I…I don't understand," said Jason.

"Then, let me make it perfectly clear for you," replied Sookie. "You can't stay inside this house forever and I have literally all the time in the world to wait for you. Or, if I lack the patience for that, I can just have some of my humans come and drag you outside."

"If this isn't about Eric, what do you want?" Jason asked.

"I want answers," replied Sookie.

Sookie walked behind the sofa and rested one of her hands on Lafayette's shoulder, causing Lafayette to flinch. "Lafayette has told me some rather disturbing information in regards to the disappearance of Eddie Gauthier. I believe that you two know who I am talking about, don't you?"

"No, we don't know anyone by that name, especially a vampire," quickly said Amy.

"I didn't say that Eddie was a vampire," replied Sookie with a little smile. "But, you already knew that. Continuing on, Lafayette had an arrangement with Eddie. When he couldn't reach Eddie on the phone, he went by his house. And, lo and behold, he finds Jason's cell phone there. Interesting."

"Are you going to believe some…some deviant drug dealer over us?" demanded Amy.

"Hey, bitch," hissed Lafayette.

"Yes, I would take Lafayette's word over yours, Amy Burley," replied Sookie, surprising Lafayette into silence.

"How do you know who I am?" asked Amy.

"I'll get to that shortly," replied Sookie. "Now, enough with the lies. I know that you took Eddie. What I don't know is what you did to him."

"We didn't do anything to him," insisted Amy. "We let him go and he told us that he wanted to make a fresh start somewhere new."

"How very convenient for you," replied Sookie, staring at Amy. She turned her eyes to Jason and asked, "Is that your story, too, Jason?"

Jason fidgeted nervously and said, "Eddie is…he's-"

"Shut up," hissed Amy. "These are vampires, you stupid imbecile."

Sookie stepped to Jason as he tried to avoid her gaze. He rubbed his hands down his jeans as if he were trying to remove something from them. Sookie lifted Jason's chin and stared down into his eyes.

"I want the truth, Jason, what happened to Eddie?" she said, glamouring him.

"Eddie is dead," replied Jason. "I was going to let him go and Amy killed him."

"How long was Eddie a prisoner here?"

"Several days, maybe a week," replied Jason.

"And what did you do to him while he was at your mercy?" asked Sookie.

"We kept him tied up in the basement and we drank his blood," replied Jason.

"Jason!" gasped Amy.

Sookie ignored her. "Did Eddie beg for his life?"

"Everyday," replied Jason.

Sookie gave a disgusted noise and let go of Jason and stepped away from him. She then turned her eyes on Amy who cowered at the end of the sofa.

"In answer to your question, Amy Burley is a name that I am familiar with," said Sookie. "It seems that Eddie wasn't the first vampire to have ever had the unfortunate pleasure of crossing your path."

"What?" asked Jason.

Sookie flicked a look to Jason. "Do you really think that Eddie was the first vampire that she has ever harmed?"

"This is crazy," said Amy. "You have the wrong person."

"I know who you are," replied Sookie. "But, you aren't my problem, anymore."

"You are going to let me go?" asked Amy.

The noise of a car pulling into the driveway and the sounds of car doors opening and closing signaled the arrival of others. Sookie stared at Amy with a cold, unmerciful gaze.

"It might have been better for you to have received my justice," said Sookie. "At least, I'm usually quick about dispensing it. But, there are prior claims on you and I just want you out of my area."

Sookie grabbed Amy in a flash and began dragging her to the front door. Amy screamed and tried to resist, but her feeble struggles didn't slow Sookie down a second. Opening the door, Sookie threw Amy down the steps where she tumbled to a stop. Immediately, Amy was surrounded by a group of vampires who bared their fangs menacingly at her. Amy shakily got to her feet and whirled around in a circle.

"No, please, don't let them take me," she begged.

"You'll get the same mercy from me that you gave Eddie," replied Sookie.

"Jason!" Amy cried.

Jason tried to push past Sookie, but she calmly grabbed him by the throat and held him. "Don't be stupid," she hissed at him. "You don't matter to those vampires. Don't do something to change that."

Amid Amy's screams, the vampires manhandled her into the late model sedan and drove off with her. Sookie shoved Jason back and shut the door.

"Sit down," she ordered.

She watched as Jason again retook his spot on the sofa and started to cry. "Amy was so nice to me," he blubbered. "She didn't deserve that."

"Trust me," said Sookie. "She deserves whatever comes her way. I probably saved your life, idiot."

"What?" said Jason, looking up at her in confusion.

"Your sweet little girlfriend was a certifiable psychopath," replied Sookie. "She drifts from town to town and she's not above killing someone if she needs something. You gave her a place to hide for a while. But, when she decided that she didn't need you anymore or if you did something to anger her, she would have simply killed you and took your money and car. And, once again, disappeared."

Jason paled and sat quietly on the sofa for several minutes. "What's going to happen to me, now?" he asked, finally.

"You have put me into a difficult position," replied Sookie. Yes, he had, thought Sookie, angrily. She didn't like feeling that she had to answer to Eric about what she did with his brother. Just as she was contemplating what Eric would think of her actions, Eric burst through the door and startled everyone.

Jason looked up and gave a weak smile, "Hey, little bro, join the party."

Eric looked at everyone present and stared a few long moments at Lafayette wearing the red Fangtasia tee shirt. He sniffed the air.

"My God, Lafayette, you smell disgusting," he said.

"Well, excuse me Your Royal Highness," replied Lafayette. "But, the facilities in your girlfriend's dungeon are nothing to write home about."

"Why are you here?" asked Sookie.

"Bruce told us before he left that the killer had struck at Jason's," replied Eric. "I made him bring me along."

Sookie just might strangle Bruce for his big mouth. But, Eric had probably grilled him before he left. And, he was persistent when he wanted to be.

"Why was Lafayette in your dungeon?" asked Eric. "And why are you here at Jason's house?"

"It's a long story," replied Sookie.

"I have time to hear it," replied Eric.

"Um, can I go, now?" asked Lafayette.

"No," said Sookie. "I'm not finished with you."

"I want to know what is going on?" demanded Eric.

"Fine, your brother and Amy kidnapped a vampire named Eddie. They held him prisoner for a week and drank his blood until they killed him. A week, where they refused to listen to his pleas for mercy," said Sookie. "Lafayette is here because he is a witness and because he is guilty of the crime of selling vampire blood."

Eric's lips parted in surprise and he looked to Jason. "Did you really do that? Kill a vampire?"

"Eric, I'm sorry," began Jason.

"You're sorry?" hissed Eric. "You stupid jerk. Do you ever use your brain for anything besides taking up dead space in your head. How could you do something like that?"

Eric clenched his fists and moved to Jason, but Sookie grabbed him and held him back. She pulled him into the kitchen with her and watched as Eric paced back and forth across the kitchen floor.

"I didn't want you involved," said Sookie.

"So, you could just kill my brother without me knowing anything, is that it?" demanded Eric. "Where is Amy?"

"I would never kill Jason," said Sookie. "I…I couldn't do something like because it would hurt you."

Eric stopped and examined Sookie. "I am a sheriff, Eric. I have responsibilities. Amy was taken away by other vampires to answer for her crimes against my kind that have nothing to do with what happened to Eddie or your brother. I have kept your brother away from them, but I simply can't ignore what he has done," she said.

"I understand," said Eric. "What are you going to do to him?"

"He needs someone to keep a watch over him," said Sookie. "A vampire that I trust."

Eric bit his lip and asked, "Pam?"

"Yes," said Sookie. "I would tend to let him go. But, I don't think that he had learned his lesson and he does things that endanger not only himself, but also you. I won't have him doing anything to put you in jeopardy."

There was an awkward silence in the room and Sookie added, "Other sheriff's would not be so lenient with him."

Eric looked down. "He's my family, even if he screws up," he softly said. "Surely, you can understand that."

"Pam and my maker are my family," said Sookie.

"But, you had a human family, once," said Eric, looking up into her eyes.

Briefly Sookie flashed back to pools of blood that marred the seamless stone tiles of her family's great hall. Savaged bodies with wide staring eyes that would never see anything in this world, again. Perhaps, her human life had ended that night when everything that she had held dear was taken from her. Sookie closed her eyes to keep from seeing any more. She felt Eric's hands on her as he rubbed her shoulders.

"Why does that cause you pain, Sookie?" he asked.

Sookie tried to break contact, but it was a feeble effort because Eric enfolded her into his arms. His hand gently petted her soft ringlets and, after a moment, she felt herself back in the present and within the warm arms of her lover. This was her shelter, some voice inside her said. Here, she could just be the Sookie that she hid away from everyone else.

"Just hold me, a moment longer," she whispered.

His hand gently stroked her back and he said, "I can do that, no problem."

Sookie enjoyed a few more moments of closeness before stepping out of Eric's arms. She looked up at him and he tucked a stray tendril behind her ear. If he asked her to let Jason go without any repercussions, she knew that she didn't have the strength to refuse him. She couldn't bear the thought of his heart turning against her.

"She won't be cruel to him, will she?" asked Eric. A part of him said that he was siding with the vampires against his brother. But, another part of him knew that he couldn't keep Jason from getting into trouble. He had tried. But, everything that he had done had only caused Jason to make more dangerous choices. If Sookie was right about other forces being interested in him, then an out-of-control Jason would be something that would used against him with no thought about the consequences to Jason.

"No, she'll just be like his guardian," replied Sookie. "She will have to give him her blood in order to know where he is."

Eric thought another long moment and nodded, "I understand."

They moved back into the living room, but Eric stopped her. "What about Lafayette? Are you going to harm him?"

"I have plans for Lafayette that don't involve a return visit to my dungeon," replied Sookie. "Promise."

As Eric stayed by the doorway, Sookie once again moved to the group that waited in the living room. Jason sat up in apprehension and cast a curious glance at Eric. Sookie turned her eyes on Jason and he flinched under her stare.

"Jason, you are committed a grave crime against my kind. I can't allow you to run around without any consequences," began Sookie.

"Please, don't kill me," said Jason. "I know that maybe I deserve, but I don't want to die."

"Maybe deserve it?" asked Sookie with narrowed eyes. "I will watch your every move Jason and the only way to know where you are at all times is to have a vampire watching over you."

"Huh?" asked Jason. "Vampire?"

"Be quiet," hissed Sookie. "You will answer to me from now on. Do you understand?"

"Yes, maybe," muttered Jason.

"Pam, come forward," said Sookie. "From this time forth, you will watch over this human and keep him in line. Understand?"

Jason looked up at Pam, nervously. "Uh, do I get a say in this?"

"No," said Sookie and Pam.

Sookie nodded to Pam and she dropped her fangs as both Lafayette and Jason flinched. She bit her wrist and held it out to Jason.

"Drink," ordered Sookie. "Now."

Jason reluctantly put his lips to her wrist and began to drink her blood. But, that reluctance only lasted a moment and then he was lapping it up, much to the surprise and mild disgust of Eric and Lafayette. After several moments, Pam pulled her wrist away and Jason sat there and licked his lips and blinked.

"I hope that you enjoyed that little taste, human," said Pam. "Soon, it just might be the other way around."

"Just so you understand how this works, Jason," said Sookie. "Pam knows where you are and what you are thinking at all times. So, behave yourself."

Jason turned his eyes to Eric and asked, "You…you're okay with this?"

"It's the only way," said Eric, with little outward emotion.

Sookie grabbed Lafayette up from the sofa and began moving to the front door. Pam and Eric followed her, although Pam paused long enough to give Jason a wink.

They all piled into the car and Pam who was driving said, "Where to?"

Lafayette held his breath as Sookie sat in the middle of the back seat between him and Eric.

"Oh, let's stop at Lafayette's first," said Sookie.

"Does this mean that I'm free to go?" asked Lafayette, hopefully.

"Not exactly," replied Sookie with a smile.

The car drove away and Sookie sought Eric's hand in the darkness of the car.

II

As the car pulled into Lafayette's driveway and stopped, Sookie announced, "This will only take a minute."

Pam unlocked the doors and Sookie ushered Lafayette out of the car. She followed right on his heels as he opened his door and turned back to look at her.

"I know the rules," he said. "I don't have to let you inside."

"True, but that would be very unfriendly, Lafayette," replied Sookie. "You don't want to make me your enemy."

Lafayette's shoulder's slumped and he said without enthusiasm, "Come in."

Sookie came inside and busied herself with looking over his things. She saw his collection of different objects of magic and deities near the mantle and looked over it with keen curiosity. She turned back to him.

"Well, you certainly haven't bored me, Lafayette," she said.

"So, how is this going to play out?" asked Lafayette.

"I like you, Lafayette," said Sookie. "And your talents are being wasted as a short order fry cook and part-time drug dealer."

"So, what are you saying?" asked Lafayette, looking at her closely.

"Tomorrow night, you will present yourself at Fangtasia," Sookie said.

"And what will I do there?" asked Lafayette.

"You will do whatever I tell you," said Sookie. "You'll be my man, Friday. My go-to guy."

"Just like that?" asked Lafayette.

"Yes, just like that," replied Sookie. "The job pays well and it's much better than the alternative. "

"Well, when you explain it like that, how can I refuse?" said Lafayette.

"I knew you were smart, Lafayette," said Sookie.

She turned to leave and said, "It's a good idea to forget all about those rather unpleasant things that you've witnessed, don't you think?"

"Yes, Boss," said Lafayette. "Whatever you say."

"Now, you're learning," replied Sookie.

Sookie breezed out his door and Lafayette wasted no time in locking all the deadbolts. He leaned the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Well, he was still alive, he thought. He had serious doubts about coming out of this entire affair in one piece. He remembered the pieces of Royce and shivered. Note to self, he thought, do not make new boss angry.

III

As the car headed onto the highway, Sookie reached again for Eric's hand.

"Come stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"I…I want to," replied Eric. "But, Gran is alone."

"I'll call Bruce and make sure he spends the night," said Sookie. "Surely, Gran will let him sleep on the couch."

Sookie interlaced her fingers with his and rested her head on his shoulder, as Eric said, "You are making it hard to refuse you."

"I'm doing my best," she said, kissing him on the neck.

Eric's breath caught and he said, "What am I going to do with you?"

Sookie grinned and said, "Let me give you some ideas." She leaned into his ear and began to whisper things, causing Eric to blush.

Pam turned the car towards Shreveport and tried to ignore the goings on in the back seat.

Sookie brought Eric home with her. The interior was a modern, cozy style and Eric sank down into the cushiony depths of an overstuffed sectional. The room had a large flat screen television that had a film of dust on it that indicated that it wasn't used very much. Earth colors with a splash of red seemed to abound and Eric found it very soothing. He picked up a silk accent pillow and twirled it in his hands.

"So, am I to assume that I am one of the few who get invited into your personal lair?" he asked.

"I don't bring anyone here," said Sookie. "Except for you."

Eric was silent and Sookie asked, "Do you want a soda or something?"

"I thought that no one else came here."

"They don't, but I want kinda hoping that you'd come here someday," she replied.

She turned to leave the room and Eric moved and caught her. "I don't want a soda," he said. "But, I wouldn't mind a tour of your home."

So, Sookie began a little tour, but, after a few rooms, Eric stopped her. 'Maybe, I didn't make myself clear," he said. "But, I wanted to see one particular room."

He kissed her as Sookie pulled him into a bedroom on the second floor. But, Eric paused at the threshold to the room. Inside was a large bed and mahogany furniture.

"No, I mean the place where you sleep," he said into her ear.

"You might find that claustrophobic," cautioned Sookie. "There aren't any windows down there."

"I want to fall sleep with you in my arms, afterwards," he said. "Wherever you are is where I want to be."

So, down in the basement, Sookie drew Eric. Into her most private and secret spot, she took him. Inside her vault-like sleeping place, was a queen size bed with a crushed silk duvet and smooth satin sheets. Eric slipped her leather jacket off and kissed the soft skin that he uncovered. His fingers were tender and his kisses light and almost reverent. It was a sharp contrast to their initial love-making in the woods. Yet, he was a lover who could play more than one tune. He could be dominant and aggressive and he could be a gentle and thoughtful, depending on what his or her needs were. He might take sometimes, but he always gave more than he took back.

"Have I told you how perfect you are?" asked Sookie.

"Adorable, yes," said Eric with a smile. "Perfect, hmmm, I think that's a first."

He pulled off her shirt and followed that with her bra. His fingers trailed over her exposed breasts and circled those swollen, tight buds at the tips.

"These are perfect," he said.

"Typical male."

"There might be bigger ones," he said. "Or, even more rounder ones."

"Excuse me?"

"But, no one else's could ever fit so perfectly in my hands," he said, as he cupped one to illustrate his point.

Sookie gave a soft moan. "I think you're teasing me."

Eric leaned down and gave a quick lick over the top of one and kissed her lips. Moving to her ear, he said, "A little maybe. Do you want me to stop?"

"Not a chance," said Sookie, pulling him close.

Swift movements left their clothes in a puddle at the foot of the bed and Sookie pulled Eric with her onto the bed. As he kissed and teased her some more, he began to kiss a path downward. But, Sookie stopped him and lifted his head. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Promise me that you'll never hate me," she said. "I couldn't bare that."

"Why should you bring up something like that, now?" asked Eric.

"Just promise me," whispered Sookie.

Eric bent down and kissed her navel. "I might get angry at you." He edged slightly downward and kissed her again.

"I might think that you are a sneaky vampire, sometimes," he said. He lavished another kiss on her just at the edge of the soft triangle of her sex.

He slipped his arms around her legs and settled between them. He gave a soft kiss in her most intimate place. He looked up at Sookie with his blue eyes bright in the dim light.

"But, it just isn't within my heart to hate you," he said. "My feelings are…are such that I'm afraid of what I feel."

"I would never hurt you," said Sookie.

Eric kissed her thigh and trailed his tongue over it as Sookie's small hands gripped his shoulders. "I don't know if that's a promise that you can keep," he murmured.

He then began to use his tongue on her. He knew what pleased her, since Sookie had been very demonstrative and patient with him. He hadn't minded. It had been a highly erotic lesson as he discovered how to bring her to a climax with the gentle strokes of his tongue. He listened to Sookie's soft exclamations of pleasure and knew that she had taught him well. Tomorrow, he would worry about the trouble that his brother was in. Tomorrow, he would worry about those shadowy forces that were a danger to him. And, tomorrow, he would worry about how his heart seemed to ache at the prospect of losing this vampire in his arms. But, tonight, all he wanted to do was to touch her and make love with her until she cried out his name. Tonight, he could feel those feelings that scared him, because though he might be afraid, nothing had ever felt sweeter.

**A/N: **I don't think that I could have given Jason the same fate as Amy and not have Eric hate Sookie for her hand in it. However, she is keeping tabs on Jason and Pam seemed to be looking forward to finding out if Jason tastes as good as his brother. Being Pam's isn't getting off scot free, by any means. Now, Eric is smart enough to realize that Sookie is being lenient with Jason. He knows that vampires operate on their own set of rules and that Jason has committed a terrible crime against them. Even Eric was shocked to find out that Jason was involved in the kidnapping and murder of a vampire. He understood what Sookie did and is grateful for what she didn't do to Jason.

I also left Amy facing the justice for her other crimes, so that Sookie's personal hands would be clean. As far as Lafayette, Sookie sees someone who can be useful to her. I think that it's a win-win situation for both of them. Except Sam in going to be in the market for a new short order cook.

I think our couple is starting to draw closer to each as they realize that they can draw strength from each other. They are still afraid and hesitant to admit what they might be feeling. But, it's becoming something that neither one can deny.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Lemons. Sookie and Eric share a moment in her office. This chapter also includes the search for the missing sixty thousand dollars.

Chapter 16

I

Sookie knew the minute that he walked into the bar. She felt the flickering of a feeling that she didn't want to acknowledge. _Ignore it, it might go away._ But, it didn't and the closer the boy came, the stronger the feeling grew. It seemed to bloom in the spot where her silent heart lay. She gripped her desk and struggled to control it. She was a vampire, dammit! She had held sway over the male population for countless centuries. She had been cold and indifferent to anyone else's wants except for her own in the arena of attraction. Why did this tall, blonde boy with the piercing blue eyes seem to be able to breech all her defenses? Why did she suddenly fear for her long dead heart when he was in the room? The shoe was on the other foot and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

The corner of her mouth twitched up in a little smile. Perhaps, she should punish him. Yes, that was it. He should suffer for his crimes. She would peel down those low-slung jeans and then his underwear. His cute little ass would be laid bare. She wouldn't use a whip, of course. She didn't want to mar the smooth perfection of his taut ass. And besides, he was just stubborn enough to refuse to allow her to heal him if she did that. No, only her hand would touch his tender flesh. She felt her hand begin to tingle with anticipation at the thought of slapping against his firm bottom. Not too hard, just hard enough to leave a faint red palm mark. Maybe, he would whimper and wiggle that teasing little ass of his. Of course, that ploy to tempt her would only earn him another smack…

"Sookie?"

Sookie shook off her daydream, or nightdream. She looked over that object of her wicked thoughts. Her intense desires flared up and seemed to engulf her. So strong were they, that she felt a physical ache. Eric came inside her office and closed the door behind him. He looked good enough to eat, she thought with a little smile. _Yes, come inside my little Viking. I have needs. Needs that only you can take care of._

"You wanted to see me?" he asked, in such blinding innocence that it shook her to the core.

He walked closer to her and Sookie felt her muscles coiling. She was going into full predatory mode and tall, blonde and sexy was her prey. As he reached her desk, she pounced. In a dizzying move for him, she moved and threw off the contents of her desk. Before Eric could react, she pinned him down backwards on her desk. She crouched over him and her hand held him down by the throat. She gave a husky growl, but kept her fangs retracted. Those would only get in the way of what she had planned for later.

"What the hell?" demanded Eric.

Sookie smiled. She wasn't hurting him. _Oh, yes, being a vampire was good_. She leaned down and kissed him. She plundered the sweet depths of his mouth and gave him no quarter. She felt a surge of power when he moaned against her onslaught. She was driving this car and her sweet Viking was along for the ride. Suddenly, she remembered his need for air and gave him a reprieve.

"Oh, God, Sookie," he gasped, taking in a deep breath.

"Are you ready to play?" asked Sookie.

Eric's eyes widened and Sookie leaned down and kissed his sweet lips. She had a lot of practice at this activity and she was good. Very good. When she rose up to look at him, Eric's eyes were blissfully closed.

"Oh, yeah," he whispered.

"There are rules, pet," she said, stroking his cheek.

Those almond-shaped blue eyes opened and held her captive for a moment. No matter how many times she stared into them, she never got tired of it. They were so lovely and unique. In her thousand years, had she ever been so enthralled before by such eyes as his?

"Rules?" he asked.

"That's right," purred Sookie. "I'm in complete control. If I choose to give you pleasure, then that is my prerogative. But, if it is punishment that I give you, you will accept it and beg for mercy." Sookie smiled evilly and added, "Or, beg for more."

"I don't know," began Eric, trying to move out of her grip.

"A little trust here," replied Sookie.

She smiled in triumph when Eric nodded. Her Viking was brave. She swelled with pride. He was wonderful and he was all hers. She grasped the front of his shirt and ripped it off him.

"My shirt," he complained.

"Silence," said Sookie. "It was in my way."

She ran her hands over his chest and caused Eric to again close his eyes at her touch. He arched his back as her fingers swirled one of his nipples.

"You have on entirely too many clothes," she huskily said. She bent down and ran her tongue over his nipple and Eric gasped.

"Are you going to do something about that?" he asked.

Still licking his nipple, she ran her hand down his abdomen. She paused only a second and slipped inside his pants. She gave a low hiss and fought to keep her fangs from popping out when she found him hard beneath her fingers. She encircled her fingers around him and noticed again that they did not touch. He was magnificent in every way, she thought. But, especially in this way. She slid her fingers over the velvety softness of his skin.

"You're so eager," she said.

"Only for you."

No matter how many times he said those words, they never failed to make her shiver and melt with longing. She had to stop her impulse of riding him right there. So, she withdrew her hand and Eric made a noise of disappointment. But, Sookie began to undo his pants and eased them off his hips. She looked down at his underwear that was straining to contain every inch of him. She didn't think that fabric was designed to withstand such stresses. It was better off to just put it out of it's misery, she thought, as she ripped his underwear off. Released, his cock sprang free and rose to lofty heights. It certainly got her attention, as it stood tall and proud on her desk. Oh, and it could talk to, she thought. It was saying_, come and get me loud and clear_. _Oh, I will, don't worry about that,_ she said back to it. She noticed that Eric wasn't trying to hide his nakedness in the bright lights of her office. Somehow, his boldness was just as enticing as his shyness.

"You don't seem so shy, tonight," Sookie murmured.

"I want your touch too much to be shy," he replied. "I need it, even if has to be across your desk."

Sookie trailed her fingers over his chest and brought them downward to the main attraction. It knew that it was the star. It almost wiggled in eagerness as her hand grazed it. Sookie trailed her fingers downward and removed his jeans and shoes, until he was completely naked. Eric sat up at that and wrapped his arms around her. His fevered lips found hers and they did a little plundering of their own. Without the interference of his clothes, she could feel the amazing warmth of his body. She wanted to drink it in. But, first things first. There was still the matter of a little fantasy to indulge in. Sookie kissed him back and cradled his face in her hands. His eyes were closed and his lips were welcomingly parted. She couldn't resist and darted her tongue over them again.

"You disobeyed me," she said. "I didn't give you permission to sit up."

"W-what?" replied Eric. Those dazzlingly baby blues opened and stared at her questioningly.

"It's okay," Sookie said, running her fingers through his blonde hair. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you too badly."

"Hurt?"

Swiftly, Sookie manhandled all of his six feet four frame and pressed him face down into her desk. He was stunned and tried to rise, but Sookie easily held him down without harming him. Although, she was distracted by the way his butt muscles contracted as he tried to free himself from her grip.

"Relax, my darling Viking," she whispered. "I'll make it good for you."

He relaxed at her words and Sookie petted him and eased him farther.

"Can I adjust myself?" asked Eric. "This isn't exactly comfortable."

In reply, Sookie let him up a little and eased her hand underneath his hips. When she stroked him a few times, Eric moans were like music to her ears. She made sure that it was flat against his stomach and then removed her hand. She pressed his hips into the desk and ground his erection into the hard surface, causing him to groan. She curved her hand along the contours of his unprotected ass. As she caressed him, she noticed that his hips continued to press into the desk. She smiled and slapped his ass. The blow was loud in the silence of the room.

"What the fuck!" hissed Eric.

He wiggled his ass and tried to rise again. Sookie clutched his ass and held him in place.

"You will yield to me," she said.

"Let me up," said Eric.

"Nope," said Sookie. She slapped his bottom again.

"Ow, that hurts!" he said.

"Don't be such a baby."

Another blow fell and Sookie paused a moment to admire Eric's backside. There was a very nice blush on his lower cheeks. She trailed her fingers over his reddened cheeks and noticed that they were hotter than the rest of his flesh. Completely fascinating, she thought. She also noticed that he had continued to grind himself into the desk during his spanking. So, whether he wanted to admit it or not, it had turned him on.

"Are you done?" he asked.

Sookie let him roll over and he eased onto his back under her. He held her gaze for a moment and then turned away. Perhaps, he was embarrassed by his response. He was still such an innocent, she thought. Where would he be without her to teach him these naughty things?

"Nothing that two people can do with each other is to be ashamed of, as long as it is consensual," she said, petting him gently. She leaned down and kissed him, long and slow and was rewarded when his tongue came out to play. She grinned at him and said, "Maybe, next time, you can spank me. Would you like that?"

In answer, he kissed her again and his arms pulled her in close. She eased herself down his long body that was sprawled over her desk. Her desk had never looked better than when it had a gorgeous blonde Viking draped across it, she thought. His fingertips tried to hold onto her, but she moved out of their reach. With her hands, she pulled him up into a sitting position at the edge of her desk and knelt before him.

"Now, it's time for something to sooth away the memory of your pain," she said.

She was just about eye level with little Eric and all doubts of him not enjoying his spanking were put to rest. He was even more swollen than before. He had a little something special in store and Sookie eagerly took him into her mouth. Eric gave a strangled cry. It never seemed to matter how many times she did this, he always reacted as if it were his first time. Those sounds of unabashed pleasure were the highest compliment and Sookie lavished her skill on him. She held him in the palm of her hand and he simply surrendered and let her do as she pleased. She marveled at the velvet softness on his skin that was in sharp contrast to the firmness underneath. She explored every inch of him, even though she knew it all by heart. Once again, she demonstrated why vampires could give head better than anyone else. She took him in deep and held him there until he was a shuddering mass of jello. _Vampires didn't need to breath, my sweet Viking_. She sweetly tortured him by prolonging this moment for as long as he could handle it. He was fighting to hold on and make the intense pleasure last. His tortured breathing grew loud in her vampire ears.

"Oh, God, Sookie," he gasped. "I can't hold on any longer."

He began to try to push her off and she released him. He shuddered as she ran her tongue over him. He pulled her up and began to pull off her clothes. "I want to come inside of you," he said, desperately.

He pulled her onto the desk. "Ride me," he said.

Sookie smiled. Now, that was an offer that she couldn't refuse. Soon the desk was bucking and jerking under their movements. It barely registered over the sounds of their mutual pleasure. Sookie felt enveloped in a blinding fog of lust. Surely, there were only Eric and herself left in the world. A repetitive noise tried to break through and she tried to focus. Was someone knocking at the door? However, Eric's movements seemed to drive away all coherent thought.

"Um, excuse me," came Pam's voice.

"What is it?" hissed Sookie, looking up to see her child. "I'm a little busy here, Pammycakes."

Eric froze his movements as well and Sookie cursed under her breath and held him in place. He wasn't getting away. Unfazed by Pam's intrusion, she began to ride Eric and, in spite of his embarrassment, he bit off a moan and moved again underneath her.

"This isn't a free show, Pam," said Sookie.

"Everything is all set," she said. "Are you sure that I can't stay and watch?"

"Out!" hissed both Sookie and Eric.

"Fine," muttered Pam, turning away for the door.

"We'll be out in five minutes," said Sookie. "Well, maybe ten."

Sookie closed her eyes and said, "Oh, fuck, maybe twenty."

II

Pam sat on a barstool and checked her watch as Sookie and Eric came out of the office. Twenty minutes, my ass, she thought. More like forty. They looked way too pleased with themselves. Hopefully, this business would be over and give her enough time to find her own release. Watching them hump each other on that desk hadn't helped matters. She didn't think that she could ever look at that desk again and not see that scene in her mind.

Eric felt a moment of embarrassment at meeting Pam's knowing gaze. He guessed that he didn't imagine her busting into the office while he and Sookie were going at each other. Of course, her intrusion hadn't stopped them for more than a moment. Surely, she must have seen a lot worse in her vampire years. He saw a couple of humans in the bar along with just Pam waiting for Sookie. He looked at Sookie curiously.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Someone has been stealing from the bar," she said. "Over sixty thousand dollars is missing. I wanted to ask you if you could interview a few of the humans who work for me."

"I don't know," began Eric. He didn't like exposing his gift in front of others. Something always told him that it was better keeping that a secret. It had gotten out in Bon Temps because, as a small child, he didn't understand that no one else could do what he could do. By the time he had learned that he was different, it was too late.

"There's only Pam and me here," said Sookie. "And I can glamour the humans."

A portly man with glasses clutched his briefcase in his hands and gasped. But, Sookie ignored him.

"It will be alright," she said.

Sookie took his hand and led him to the table that the man was sitting at. Eric held her gaze for a moment and took a seat across from him. As Eric still watched, she moved behind the man and squeezed his shoulder, which caused the man to flinch away from her. He was also sweating profusely.

"This is Bruce, our accountant," said Sookie.

"I found the errors," he implored. "Why would I do that if I was the thief?"

"Why indeed," asked Sookie. "You will let answer Eric's questions."

"O-Okay," he said, miserably.

Eric sat across from him and listened. _Crazy vampires. Why is her boy toy staring at me that way? I should have never taken this job. I didn't steal the money, but how can I prove it? Now, they'll probably kill me._

"He didn't take your money," said Eric.

Bruce looked around in confusion for a moment. Then, relief washed over his features. "Can I go, now?"

"Soon," Sookie said, motioning him to get out of the chair. "Why don't you wait for me in the office?"

Bruce clutched his briefcase and shambled to the office. Pam brought over Ginger and pushed her into the chair.

"This is Ginger," said Sookie. "Ginger, you will submit."

"Yes, Master," said Ginger.

Ginger looked over at Eric as he said, "Do you know what happened to the money?"

"Of course, not," replied Ginger.

Eric reached out his hand and touched her forearm. "Whoa, what is he doing?"

Sookie sighed. "Pam, hold her in place."

Pam moved and held down Ginger's arms, but before Eric could reach again for her and new voice rang out.

"What is going on here?" demanded Longshadow.

Eric looked over to see the bartender leaning against the bar. His long dark hair was still flowing and he was still wearing the leather vest that displayed all his tattoos. He crossed his arms and his eyes flashed in anger.

"Sixty thousand dollars is missing," replied Sookie. "I'm merely attempting to find out where it went."

"Behind my back?" Longshadow asked.

"I wasn't aware that I needed your permission for anything," Sookie replied.

Longshadow flinched. "This is bullshit and you know it. I don't appreciate you bringing your human into our affairs."

"Your reservations are noted, although I couldn't give a flying fuck for what you think," replied Sookie, brazenly.

Without another word, Sookie turned back to Eric and said, "Proceed."

Eric reached for Ginger's hand. "Did you steal the money?"

"Do I look smart enough to do that?" Ginger snorted.

_No, thought Eric, she barely looked like she could tie her shoes and certainly not embezzle sixty thousand dollars out of Fangtasia. _

"Do you know who did?" he asked.

Ginger paused and said, "N-no."

_Fuck, why is he looking at me that way? He's hot and all, but I'm into vampires. And, even I'm not crazy enough to touch him. I didn't steal the money, but I know who did. Or, I thought that I did. I just can't remember…._

"She knows," said Eric. "But, she can't remember. It has to be a vampire."

With a loud growl, Longshadow flew across the room and shoved Ginger out of the way. Eric was frozen and Longshadow grabbed him and bared his fangs intending to sink them into Eric's neck. Eric raised his hands and tried to push off Longshadow just as Sookie reached them. Eric's hand glowed and a brilliant light erupted from his palms. It threw Longshadow back across the room along with Sookie who had grabbed onto him. Eric looked at them and at his hand in surprise.

Longshadow struggled to his feet. "What the fuck is he?" he demanded.

Sookie landed before the bar and she eased to her feet. "He's mine, that's what he is."

"We'll see about that after the Magister finds out about your little pet," growled Longshadow. "I think that my little petty theft will be forgotten if I bring forward whatever the hell that is."

Eric's eyes widened and he looked over at Sookie. Longshadow began moving towards Eric again, causing Eric to move out of his seat and back away. "What the fuck did you do to me?" growled Longshadow.

When he drew too close, Sookie said, "It's not him that you need to worry about."

Longshadow turned and Sookie staked him with the broken off end of wooden bar tap pull. Longshadow erupted in a fountain of blood and it rained down on the floor. Ginger screamed and cowered behind the bar. No one noticed Bruce watching from the hallway, nor did they notice him turn and shuttle out the back.

Sookie moved to Eric and examined him quickly. He had some blood spatters on his skin and clothes. But, he stared almost right through her as if his eyes couldn't focus.

"Come on," gently said Sookie.

He offered no resistance and she pulled him to the back. "Pam, have Ginger clean up this mess and glamour Ginger."

Sookie led Eric to the back of the bar to the employee shower. She turned on the shower to hot and quickly disrobed him. He was numb and like a child in her hands. In a blur, she did the same and pulled both of them underneath the stinging shower. She pulled him close as the blood washed away and ran down the drain.

"I'm sorry," Sookie said. "He wasn't supposed to be here. I would never put in danger on purpose."

"You killed him," muttered Eric.

"He tried to kill you," said Sookie. "For that he had to die. Plus, he would have told the vampire authorities."

Sookie clutched him as the water ran over them. She cradled his face in her hands as the water ran in rivulets over her hands and into his hair. "I will always protect you. I'll do anything to keep you safe."

Eric looked down on her and fell to his knees with his arms around her. His head rested against her chest. "Why? Because I'm yours?"

Sookie lifted his head and looked down into his mesmerizing eyes, seeing his pain and hurt. She wished that she could take it all away. Her thumb gently played over his lips.

"No, because I….I love you," she said.

**A/N: **They are so sweet and I love that it was vampire Sookie who admitted her feelings first.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **This chapter follows the action in the last chapter and starts the same night. Someone from the series makes an appearance at the end of the story.

Chapter 17

I

Lorena checked her watch. Again. He was late and for as much as she was paying him, he could at least be punctual. She was in this rundown dive for two reasons. One, vampires didn't usually come here. And two, the humans that did come here kept their eyes to themselves and weren't interested in anyone else's business. The bottom of their beer mugs held their undivided attention. She stifled her annoyance. He had been an easy mark to corrupt. It seems that even vampires were susceptible to human vices and gambling was one of the worst plagues on any species. Sookie's bartender and partner in Fangtasia had racketed up an immense debt. He was still making payments and Lorena had guessed that he was siphoning off funds from Fangtasia to meet his deadlines. Not a good move if one valued his life, since Sookie would take a dim view of such actions when she found out. But, that was his problem not hers. And Longshadow was not Sookie's type, so there would not be any, shall we say, special payments allowed. Again, Lorena checked her watch and sipped on the stale bottle of Tru Blood that she had to order in order to stay in this place and not attract attention. She was sure that it was well-passed the outdate, it certainly tasted even more vile than usual. Of course, she was aware that Longshadow availed himself on those fangbangers that congregated at his place of business. Taking Sookie and Pam's leftovers, including that spaced out pincushion of a waitress that worked there. She got up to leave. She had wasted enough of her time here. She wasn't the type to sit by and just wait for things.

Ginger was getting ready for bed and was brushing her hair when her doorbell rang. That was strange, she thought. No one ever visits me this late at night. She gave a little smile. Maybe, Longshadow had changed his mind and wanted a little late night nip. She concentrated for a moment as if there was something that she should remember but couldn't. But, her mind was sometimes a little fuzzy and she shrugged it off. Since that wasn't such a rare occurrence, she didn't give it any more thought.

She opened her door to see a dark-haired vampire on her doorstep. She didn't recognize her, but don't all vampires sort of look alike? She had a secret crush on Pam, but the object of her affections never seemed to notice. If only Pam would show up on her doorstep someday and sink her fangs into her throat, then she might just die and go to heaven. But, hopefully, not literally.

"Hello?" said Ginger.

"Hello, Ginger," replied Lorena with a smile.

"Um, do I know you?"

"You do now," replied Lorena. She locked her eyes with Ginger's and watched in satisfaction as Ginger's confused gaze slackened. She bored into her brain in a not so gentle assault. But, she didn't have time to fool around and she wanted answers. Plus, this human had been glamoured a few too many times. She'd be lucky if she could even get anything coherent out of her.

"I'm looking for Longshadow," said Lorena. "Do you know where he is?"

"I, ah, don't know," replied Ginger.

"Did you see him tonight at Fangtasia?"

Ginger concentrated and her brow furrowed. "I think so. He works there so I had to have seen him."

Lorena hissed in annoyance and focused harder on Ginger, causing her to gasp and weave on her feet. "I didn't ask you what you think you might have seen. When did you last see him?"

"Tonight," gasped Ginger. "He was there with us after work, but he left after the meeting."

Lorena concentrated and only saw blackness in Ginger's mind. A sure-tell sign of being glamoured, she thought. Her interest peaked. "Who else was at this meeting?"

"Me, Sookie, Pam and Eric," replied Ginger. "Oh, and Bruce."

Now, we are getting somewhere, thought Lorena. "And what was this meeting about?"

"I don't remember," replied Ginger, vaguely. "Something to do with Fangtasia."

Lorena relaxed her hold over Ginger for a moment. Ginger had given up just about all she could remember. And she could forget about gleaming any information from the others, since even Eric would not be susceptible to her powers. But, there was one name that Ginger gave her that she didn't recognize.

"Who's Bruce?" Lorena asked.

"The accountant," replied Ginger.

Aha, thought Lorena. If she didn't find the human in front of her so vile, she might have kissed her. Lorena flashed a smile. "Now, Ginger, perhaps, we can talk about Bruce."

II

Eric came into the bedroom in Sookie's vault. He had taken a long, hot bath and Sookie had bathed him like a child, until he murmured that he wanted to be alone for a moment. He was now warmly enfolded in a men's robe in a steel gray color that still flattered his pretty eyes, even now when those eyes stared back at her with a haunted look. Something inside her fluttered in her chest at seeing him this way. She had pulled on a lacy, short nightgown and she patted the bed next to her.

"Hop up," she said.

"I, ah, should probably go home," he said. "Gran will be all alone."

"It's okay," replied Sookie. "I sent Pam to Jason. He will stay with your grandmother tonight."

Eric still wavered and Sookie wondered if he was afraid of her after what he had seen tonight. Something clenched inside of her almost as if she felt a pain. But, she was a vampire, she didn't feel that kind of pain anymore. Did she? Sookie sat up and took Eric's hand. He didn't flinch away from her touch and that reassured her. She gently pulled him onto the bed with her. He came without a fight. Surely, she was better than being alone with his nightmares, tonight.

With eyes downcast, he said, "You must think that I'm a baby."

Sookie raised his eyes to hers. "Nothing could be farther from the truth. You aren't hardened to the things that you saw, tonight, that's all."

She kissed his cheek. "I hope that you never get used to it." She lifted his chin and her gaze became more intense. "That was a pretty neat little trick that you did tonight. Tell me how you did it."

"I don't know," said Eric, miserably. "It just seemed to happen."

"Has it ever happened before?"

"No," replied Eric. His gaze searched Sookie's. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure," replied Sookie. "But, it's clear evidence that you aren't exactly human."

"You mean that I'm even more of a freak than I thought," he groaned and turned away from her.

Sookie gently turned him back to her. "You are perfect. You aren't a freak, understand?"

"Then, what am I?"

Sookie pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. But, I will find out. But in the meantime, you must keep this power a secret from all others, especially vampires."

"You've known that I was different all this time," said Eric, his blue eyes growing even more haunted. "Is that why you singled me out?"

Sookie gripped Eric's hand. "We need to put all our cards on the table. No more secrets between us because secrets can get us both killed."

"So, did you pursue me because of what you thought that I might be?" asked Eric.

Sookie didn't blink and stared back into Eric's eyes. "I heard that Lorena was in Bon Temps searching for someone. I won't deny that I wanted to find that person before she did. When you bravely came into my bar like a fish out of water and tried to manipulate me into helping you for the sake of your brother, you got my undivided attention. I would have pursued you regardless of whether you were the one that she sought or not. I have a thing for tall, blonde and sexy."

"And…and the blood?" he asked with barely a whisper.

"I wanted you to be mine," replied Sookie. "I'm a selfish vampire, even though a part of me regrets doing it because it hurt you."

"You didn't have to use such powers on me," replied Eric. "I feel that I've always been yours, even from that first night I met you. Silly, huh?"

Sookie softly kissed his lips. "You can't argue with fate, especially when it put the most sweetest thing I've ever seen in my greedy little hands."

Eric laid his head in her lap and his face turned to hers. Those haunted blue eyes grew calmer and the corner of his lip ticked up. "You are a greedy little thing. You can't keep your hands off me."

"Do I hear any complaints over my wicked ways?"

"Nope," replied Eric. He turned slightly and wrapped his arms around her. "Just don't let me go."

"My maker didn't raise any dummies," replied Sookie. "You're stuck with me."

Sookie kissed him softly, but the kiss became deeper. She pulled back and trailed her fingers through his hair. "Is it too soon for this?"

Eric pulled her back to his lips, saying, "It's never too soon. You're the only thing that has ever felt right in my world."

III

"Hello, Loverboy," said Pam with a smirk.

"Uh, hi," replied Jason. He scanned Pam's short and revealing leather dress and thought better of those wandering thoughts. "Look, this is a bad time."

He began to close the door, but Pam stopped him. "Now, is this anyway to treat your master?"

"Master?" replied Jason with a mixture of confusion and fear.

"That's right, Sweet Cheeks," replied Pam. She put a finger to his chest and pushed him back as she stepped into his home.

"Wait, don't you have to have permission to come in here?" he asked.

"You already gave me permission," replied Pam. "Revoking it, now, would be a serious error in judgement."

"Shit," hissed Jason, closing the door and turning to watch Pam explore his living room. "Is there something that you want?"

"Eric is spending the night with Sookie," replied Pam. "You need to watch over your grandmother, tonight."

"Jeesh, why don't those two just move in together," muttered Jason.

"Sookie is taking things nice and slow with your little brother," replied Pam.

"Slow, huh? So, taking his virginity on their first real date was being slow?" retorted Jason.

"It's slow for her," replied Pam with a smirk.

"So Sookie tells me 'jump' and I say 'how high'. Is that how this is going to work?" asked Jason.

"You know, you might be smarter than you look," replied Pam. "Except, you also take orders from me. Unless, you would to book an indefinite stay in our dungeon."

"No thanks," replied Jason, moving to get his jacket. Pam watched him pull on the jeans jacket, but as he moved to the door, she didn't move out of his way.

"Is there something else?" asked Jason.

"Funny, now that you mention it," replied Pam. "I can think of something that just came up or, shall we say, out."

With that, Pam dropped her fangs with a snick and moved towards Jason. He took a step backwards for every step that she took forwards. He kept backing up until he bumped into the sofa and fell over the arm. Before he could regain his feet, Pam moved in a flash and perched over him. Jason let out a frightened cry.

"Don't bite me," he cried.

"Has any vampire ever bitten you?" asked Pam.

"No, of course not," replied Jason.

"But, you have drank vampire blood," she said. "Don't you think that turnabout is fair play?"

"What? No!" gasped Jason.

Pam reached out a long, red nail and flicked it over Jason's cheek. He flinched under her touch and she smiled. "Just lie back and relax. I bet that you've said the same thing before."

Jason opened his mouth in protest, but before the words came out, Pam turned his head and exposed his neck. With a hiss, she lunged for his throat and bit. Jason gave a cry of fear which Pam ignored as she sucked vigorously at his neck. It only took a few moments before Jason began to moan. Pam stopped and turned his head back to look at her.

"You like it a little rough, don't you?" she smirked.

"What?" gasped Jason. "Is it over?"

Pam flashed a fangy smile, which caused Jason to wince since his blood stained her lips. "We're done, Cowboy, when I say so."

Jason barely had time to gasp before Pam latched onto his neck again. "Nice vampire," he muttered. "Please don't kill me."

IV

Jason brought another round of drinks at Merlott's the next night. Merlott's was full and the sounds of music and conversation seemed to drown out his own thoughts. He decided that he didn't want to go home so early, tonight. He liked the security of bright lights and crowds of people. His mind still wandered to last night and his dick started to harden as he remembered being held down on his own sofa. Shit, what was wrong with him? How can thinking about being manhandled and bitten get his dick hard? He shifted uncomfortable in his seat and tried to find some relief since his tight jeans had little room for a raging hard-on. He closed his eyes and shivered even though the room was far from cold. He tried to forget the feel of those fangs slicing through his neck. His movements caused a twinge in his shoulder and reminded him that he had woken up this morning with a crick in his neck from sleeping on Gran's couch. His movements caught Rene's eyes.

"Fuck, tell me that my eyes are fucking playing tricks on me," Rene said.

"What?"

Rene raised his hand and pulled away Jason's shirt to expose the fang marks on Jason's throat. "It's bad enough watching your little brother cavort with vampires, but I would have never thought that you would."

Jason bristled. "It's not what you think."

"Oh, then, what is it?" asked Rene.

Jason grabbed his beer and took a long drink. "I don't want to discuss it."

"So, are you and your brother double-dating?"

"Just shut the fuck up," hissed Jason.

"I realize that you are lonely after Amy up and left," said Rene. "But, a vampire? Hell, half this town's female population is on a waiting list for your bed."

"Only half?" smirked Jason.

Rene sat back and studied Jason. "So, what gives?"

Jason took another drink. "I will say that there is some kind of vampire mind tricks going on. Because those fangs have a direct line to my dick. I've never been harder."

Rene narrowed his eyes. "So, how was it?"

"I didn't fuck her," replied Jason in exasperation. "She's scary. Really scary."

"Aren't all vampires?" asked Rene.

Jason almost voiced his agreement. As scary as Pam was, he wasn't fooled at all by that little vampire that his brother was dating. Not after seeing her coldly throw Amy to the wolves and just outright tell him that his ass was hers. His brother had better stay in her good graces, for both their sakes. Just thinking about those vampires made his dick throb with a need that he didn't want to acknowledge. Was he attracted to vampires? It had to be some Jedi mind trick thing, he thought. They were fucking with his head. Maybe, another beer would help or two. Or three.

V

Lorena pulled into her driveway and slammed on the brakes as she saw another vehicle illuminated by her headlights. It was large, foreign and very expensive. Coming up her steps, she found her door unlocked. But, vampires didn't need permission to enter another vampire's home. The lights were on in her living room and she saw a dark figure standing before her fireplace. He had started a fire and stood there poking at the logs.

"This place is real dump," he said.

He turned around and she gazed at him. He looked the same, but he would never change, any more than she did. His dark hair fell on his forehead giving him bangs and his pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light of her living room. He was under six foot, but well-formed. He was just as attractive as ever. Lorena nervously gripped her skirt. Why was he here? What could he want?

"Perhaps, you should seek shelter somewhere else, then," she replied.

"And miss reconnecting with you after all these years that we've been parted?" he said with a smile. "I'll just have to rough it, I suppose."

There was a part of her that never forgave him for what he did to her all those years ago. He took away her children and her husband and all those dreams that she had so long ago. She never got to see her daughter grow up. She wasn't there when her son lay dying of a sickness. Her husband grew old and died alone. She should have been there to live through all those joys and tragedies of her human life. Her family was all that she had treasured back then and this vampire took it away from her. He never understood what he took from her because he was incapable of understanding the human condition. Lorena wondered if he had ever been a human, at all.

"Why are you here, Bill?" she asked.

"Now, Darling, didn't you miss me?" he asked with a wicked grin.

**A/N: **Okay, after such a shocking event as Longshadow's demise, I think that Eric and Sookie might be taking a big step to open up with each other. I think that they are so cute together that I almost hate to have anything endanger them. I want to write them going to Sookie's plantation in Barbados and just making whoopee with each other. But, that might get a little dull.

I don't find it surprising that Lorena was bribing Longshadow for information on Sookie. She's always quick to find any weakness and exploit it.

Jason and Pam….hmmm. Maybe, he might grow to liking being her pet. Rene seemed pretty interested in what his best buddy was up to.

Bill finally makes his appearance in this story. More to come with him and I do believe that just like Lorena, he has his own agenda.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **This chapter has the resolution of the Bon Temps killer story. It doesn't play out the same as it did on the show, since Rene targets a new victim. We end with a sweet/tart Sookie and Eric lemon.

Chapter 18

"Hey Buddy," said Jason.

He opened the door and allowed Rene to come inside. Rene wore simple cargo pants and a tee shirt. He was carrying a six-pack of bottled beer with him and gave Jason a slight smile. "You weren't at Merlott's, so I thought that I would bring the party to you."

Jason closed the door and watched Rene move into his kitchen to put the beer away in the fridge. Rene had been a frequent guest at his house and certainly knew his way around. Jason returned back to his easy chair and watched the flickering television with little interest. When Rene came back out, he handed a cold beer to Jason and took a seat on the sofa with his own beer. Jason fidgeted with an old crocheted throw that his grandmother had made until Rene broke the silence.

"So what's up with you?"

Jason took a long swig of beer that downed nearly a third of the bottle. "Nothin'," he replied.

"It ain't like you to sit around and mope at home," said Rene. "Does this have something to do with your new vampire girlfriend?"

In the middle of another swig, Jason coughed and sputtered, "Jesus Christ, Rene, she's not my girlfriend."

"You're wearing her brand on your throat."

Jason self-consciously raised a hand to the marks on his neck. Brand. Rene had hit a little too close to the mark on that one. He certainly did feel branded. But, the most irritating thing about the whole affair was that even as he had cringed in fear, he had been sexually excited by having that vampire bite him. He'd gotten a hard-on and he was sure that vamp had known exactly what was going on below his belt. Was that normal? Maybe, he should ask Eric. Except it was too fucking embarrassing to even talk about.

"Look if you came here to make me feel worse, then you can get the fuck out of here," growled Jason. "And don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."

"I'm just trying to understand what's going on with my best buddy," easily replied Rene. "Why he's suddenly into girls with fangs."

"It…it's private."

Jason stared at his almost finished beer. As he reached over to set the beer bottle on the coffee table, he missed it by several inches. The bottle tumbled to the floor and sloshed out the remaining fluid onto his carpet.

"You drunk or something?" asked Rene.

"No, I've only had the one beer," replied Jason slowly, as if talking required more concentration than usual.

"Can't hold your liquor, huh, Jason?" asked Rene with a smile.

Jason attempted to get out of the chair and his feet were unsteady, which caused him to waver. Rene got up and moved the few steps to him, but instead of giving him a hand, Rene shoved him forcefully back into the chair.

"What the hell, Rene?"

Rene leaned down closer to Jason. "You're drugged, Jason. Just sit back and relax because it will soon be over."

"What?" asked Jason, trying to focus his eyes on his supposed best friend.

"I would have never taken you for a vamp lover. But, I guess that your little brother pulled you into the lifestyle."

"You leaf Eric outta this," slurred Jason.

"Can't do that. He's next on my list."

"What lissst?"

"You really are a fucking moron," replied Rene, without a ghost of his usual accent. "Let me try to explain it so that your seriously limited intelligence can understand. Remember Maudette and Dawn, those two vamp whores?"

Jason's eyes widened in growing horror. "You…you killed Dawn?"

"That's right. Squeezed the life right out of her," Rene replied with a smile.

"You fucking bastard," hissed Jason. His eyes widened even further and his jaw dropped. "And Gran?" he whispered.

"I didn't realize what a fighter the old biddy was," chuckled Rene. "She's tougher than she looks. I was sure that she would bleed out on her kitchen floor."

"I'll kill you," hissed Jason, struggling to rise from the chair.

"The only thing that you are going to do is die."

Rene straightened back up and began to remove his belt with a look of pure malice on his face. Jason managed to get himself out of the chair and, with a supreme effort, began shambling across the room. He had a rifle and a handgun in his room and he had to get to them. He couldn't let Rene kill him because that would leave Eric and Gran alone and vulnerable. Fear for his loved ones caused Jason to try to run as fast as his trembling legs would move. But, near the hallway, a heavy force crashed into him and knocked him to the floor. He felt a knee pressed into his back, between his shoulder blades, as Rene's belt was thrown over his head. In a flash, it cinched painfully tight and Jason fought to breathe.

"Time to die," came Rene's taunt in his ear.

xoxo

Eric was working behind the bar at Merlott's. After the incident with Long Shadow, he had missed a couple of days of work and he was eager to make up for lost time. He still had his plans that he was working towards, but even as he bustled behind the bar, he wondered if his life was irrevocably changing. Of course, Pam who was standing at the counter was a reason for these wandering thoughts. She was dressed in a wrap dress with lots of pink in it and carried a matching pink designer handbag. If he didn't know that she was a vampire with a biting and sarcastic nature, he might be led to believe that she was just a well-to-do lady on a night out. Those cold eyes gave her away, of course.

"I'm not a charity case," said Eric.

Pam's lips twitched in a frown and she set the check on the counter. "We know that. This is just to make up for your lost time at work, that's all."

"Why didn't Sookie bring it herself?"

"Sookie has business tonight. Vampire business, and she sent me in her place."

Eric reluctantly reached for the check and held it up and looked at it. His lips set in a stubborn frown and he sat the check back down on the counter. "This is too much money and I can't accept it."

Pam rolled her eyes. How did she get stuck running interference between her maker and this man-child? It's too bad that she couldn't just glamour the boy and be done with it. She tried pushing it back across the counter.

"You can sort that out with Sookie. I'm just the delivery girl."

Eric stubbornly crossed his arms across his chest and was about to reply when Arlene rushed up to the counter. Her heavy eye makeup trailed down her face as if she had been crying. But, her eyes flashed with anger.

"Where is Rene!" she cried.

"I haven't seen him tonight," calmly replied Eric.

Arlene seemed to hold onto the counter for support and her fingers were white-knuckled with the effort of keeping on her feet. Arlene wasn't exactly his favorite person, but Eric asked with concern, "Arlene, are you alright?"

"Do I fucking look alright!" she snapped. "Oh, crap, maybe we should call Sheriff Dearborne."

Eric came around and settled Arlene onto a barstool while Pam cocked her hip and observed the proceeding with barely disguised irritability. Eric handed Arlene a shot of whiskey which she downed in a big gulp.

"Now, what's going on, Arlene?"

Arlene clutched the shot glass and new tears flowed down her face. "It's Rene. I found a box of his things in the garage. A how-to tape for actors on the Cajun dialect and a ….a videotape."

"What sort of video?" asked Eric, quietly. His eyes widened as he read her thoughts. Arlene looked up at him and her lips quivered. "Yes, that kind of video. I know what that means, Eric. I'm such a stupid fool."

Arlene began weeping with her shoulders heaving. Eric placed a hand on them and gently patted her. "We'll call Bud and Andy, Arlene, we'll get it all sorted out. Are the children home alone?"

She shook her head. "No, I left them with a neighbor and rushed over here."

"Since this drama doesn't show any signs of stopping," came Pam's droll voice. "Can you just take the check so I can be going? I do have a undead life that I would like to get back to."

Eric turned to Pam with the intention of just taking the check and getting rid of her. He could sort this out with Sookie later. But, as he took the check and shoved it into a pocket, Pam closed her eyes as if in concentration.

"Jason," she said softly.

Before Eric could ask her what she meant, she disappeared in a rush of air.

Wiping her eyes, Arlene said, "I hate it when they do that."

Eric turned back to Arlene and squeezed her shoulder. "I'll get Sam to sit with you and call the police. But, I have to go."

Arlene questioningly looked up at him and Eric grimly added, "I think my brother is in trouble."

XOXO

Jason couldn't breathe and his hands clawed at the belt that painfully dug into his neck. Rene's body weight held him down and his muscles still felt weak from whatever drug Rene had given him.

"The only thing worse than vampires are those whores who give it to them like the sluts they are," he hissed. "My own sister was one of those sluts. She was my first."

The belt seemed to dig even more cruelly into his throat. What a fucking psycho, thought Jason. When he felt Rene lean down to taunt him again, Jason reared back with all his strength and head-butted him. Rene uttered a muffled curse and Jason felt some slack in the belt, at last. He clawed it loose and took a gasping breath that caused him to cough and wheeze. His ravaged throat was on fire, but Jason quickly elbowed Rene off of him and tried to crawl away. On his hands and knees, he struggled to clear his head and get enough air in his lungs to escape. It was then that Rene kicked him in the ribs and knocked him down. Jason curled up in a fetal position and groaned as sharp pains shot through his side. He watched Rene walk away, but he came back in less than a minute, carrying a kitchen knife with him.

"You should have just laid there and taken the easy way out," said Rene. "Now, I'm going to make it hurt. I'll carve you up, just like I did your grandmother."

"You crazy son-of-a-bitch," hissed Jason.

"Don't call me crazy. They all had it coming, including you."

As Jason tried to shuffle away on the floor, Rene reached for him with the knife raised. Jason uttered a cry and tried to keep the blade from slicing into him, but his arms trembled with the effort of holding Rene off. It was then that Rene's demented grin evaporated as the front door swung open with a loud crash. Both Jason and Rene turned to see Pam on the front step, with her pink Gucci purse and her pink Prada peep-toe pumps.

"Help me," gasped Jason.

In a flash, Pam moved and grabbed a surprised Rene by the throat and flung him across the room. She looked down at Jason who was still coughing and trying to breathe through his ravaged throat. Sensing Rene moving behind her, Pam whipped around and grabbed the knife out of Rene's hand and shoved it all the way to the hilt in his chest. Rene staggered a few more steps and then his eyes rolled up in his head as he fell dead to the floor.

"Would somebody mind telling me what is going on?" she demanded.

Jason struggled to his feet and toed the lifeless body of Rene. "He tried to kill me. He was the killer all along."

The sound of squealing tires and flying gravel announced another visitor and Jason and Pam turned to see Eric rush inside. He paused for a moment at the sight of Rene's body and then moved to Jason and put his arm over him as he helped him to the sofa.

"I'm alright, little bro," Jason wheezed.

Eric lifted his eyes to Pam just as her phone rang. "Yes, he's right here with me. He's fine. I'll tell you everything when I get back."

Pam mouthed 'Sookie' to Eric who hesitated a moment and then stepped forward to Pam. Slowly, he put his arms around her as Pam stiffened. She held her hands awkwardly out to the side and was at a loss at what to do. Eric moved back and muttered a 'thanks'. He turned back to his brother, but Pam seemed to be confused. She had never had contact with a human that wasn't sex or blood related. Yet, Eric's touch had not been unpleasant. Was this the sort of contact that her maker also enjoyed?

"How did you know to come here?" asked Jason, looking at Pam.

"You've had my blood, remember?" she drawled. "It's my built-in ESP."

"Oh."

"Besides, I'm not going to let some redneck try to take what's mine," she added.

"Maybe you should go before the police get here," Jason said. "I'll tell them that I managed to stab Rene in self-defense so that you stay off the police's radar."

Pam gave a little smirk. "Loyalty to one's master," she purred. "My, we are coming along nicely."

She retrieved her pink handbag and walked to the door, swaying her hips seductively. But, just before she passed out the door, she turned back and said, "See ya later, Sweet Cheeks."

XOXO

Sookie alighted in Adele's driveway dressed in a black leather shirt and jacket. She daintily walked to the porch on 4 inch black stiletto heels. Eric got up from the porch swing where he had been waiting for her. A blanket to keep off the night chill was wrapped around his shoulders. Sookie took his hand in hers and searched his eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I wasn't the one in trouble this time."

"That's not what I asked," she replied, squeezing his hand.

"I'm better, now that you are here."

They both took a seat on the porch swing and Sookie gently ran her fingers through his hair. "It's over, now," she said. "Is your brother okay?"

"He's sleeping upstairs," said Eric. A frown creased his face. "I can't believe that it was Rene all this time. I should have known."

"Did you not hear anything unusual from him?" asked Sookie.

Eric's frown deepened. "I try not to listen in on friends and family."

"Maybe, you should start," said Sookie. "Your innocent little world has gone up in smoke and you need to be more watchful."

"Sometimes, I don't know whom to trust," said Eric, with a sad look in his eyes.

"You can trust me," replied Sookie. She pulled Eric in closer to her and gently soothed him. "Except, you can't trust me with your virtue."

"You've already taken my virtue. Not that I'm complaining too much about your lack of moral fiber."

Sookie brought her lips to Eric's and kissed him. Sweet little kisses, one after another and her hand began a journey up his thigh. "Yes, I'm a wicked little vampire who wants to get in your pants in the worst way."

She reached the top of his thighs and softly began to knead the rapidly hardening bulge. Eric inhaled sharply and stopped her hand.

"We…we shouldn't," he protested.

Sookie kissed him and whispered in his ear. "Your grandmother and Jason are fast asleep."

"How do you know that?"

"I can tell by their breathing and the slower beating of their hearts," she replied, nibbling on his ear.

"You're so talented with your vampire skills," murmured Eric. "What else can you do?"

Eric let go of Sookie's hand and she once again began to rub and caress him. Nipping at his neck, she said, "I can make you come. Would you like me to demonstrate this power?"

She undid Eric's pants and his cock willingly came to her stroking fingers. "Yes," breathed Eric, pulling Sookie's lips to his. In time to Sookie's strokes, Eric thrust his tongue into Sookie's mouth and parried with hers. Sookie made a soft moan as she tasted his sweet lips and her hand began to move faster. After a few moments, Eric groaned and she moved to his neck, sweetly kissing his throbbing artery.

"Do you like that?" she asked before sliding a wet tongue across his throat.

"I want more," replied Eric.

"You're so greedy," softly giggled Sookie. "Did I ever tell that I like that about you?"

"I know what else you like about me."

Eric maneuvered Sookie so that she straddled him on the porch swing. The swing jerked erratically for a moment and Sookie clutched Eric's shoulders to hang on.

"Easy, you're going to dump us both out on the porch," she hissed.

"Then, we'll just continue down there," Eric said with a smirk. "I can pick the splinters out of your butt afterwards."

"Scandalous," Sookie said, kissing Eric, once again.

Eric's hands roved up her pert bottom and paused. "Talk about scandalous. You aren't wearing panties."

Sookie nipped at his earlobe. "I was kinda hoping to get lucky tonight."

Eric made a soft growl, as his fingers journeyed between Sookie's thighs. "I might just be able to help you out with that."

Sookie let out a soft moan, as Eric's fingers teased that eager little button of nerves. "Is this all mine?" he asked.

A finger moved inside as his thumb circled over that button. Sookie threw her head back and moved in time to Eric's fingers.

"Eric," she gasped.

Eric's lips trailed along her exposed neck. "Tell me that this belongs only to me."

"Yes, oh, yes. Nobody else touches me like this."

Eric rewarded her by dipping another finger inside of her and stroking his fingers a little faster and harder. Sookie's hips jerked in response.

"Don't tease me, Baby," she moaned.

Eric sucked on her neck and tugged on a pebbled nipple with his other hand. "Tell me what you want."

"I want what's mine," she moaned. "Every beautiful inch of it."

Sookie closed her eyes and felt one of her favorite sensations, that of Eric sliding deep within her. For a moment the swing jerked wildly, but it eased into a slow steady rhythm as Eric used the momentum of the swing to enhance their movements. If she could spend every moment with them locked together until dawn, she would. Slowly and languidly, they touched each other. Every movement of one was equally mirrored in the other. So close were they, that Sookie could feel a dizzying array of so many things. So many sensations washed over her, but she wanted to savor each one. To experience every moment to it's fullest and make it last. For so long they stayed like that, just enjoying the touch of each other's bodies. Then, at a nonverbal signal between them, the tempo began to increase. The strokes became faster, harder. A common goal was within reach and they both moved headlong towards it. A tingling started in Sookie's toes and moved upwards until the spot that their bodies met was fluttering wildly as a build up of pleasure grew. Higher and higher, she felt herself rising. She was sailing ever faster towards an ultimate high, but she didn't want this moment to end. She felt so much and she knew it was because of this blue-eyed boy that moved so strongly against her. He touched her on a level that no one else ever had. He made her feel…alive.

"Open your eyes," he whispered. "Look at me."

Sookie turned her eyes and stared into Eric's bedroom eyes. Those tantalizing almond-shaped eyes pulled her in and she felt as if she were drowning. Falling deep inside of them. Her stomach lurched wildly. The building pressure in her loins was blindingly feverish. She should have been afraid and for a moment she froze and time stood still. But, Eric's soft words caused her to let go and she surrendered completely to this moment. To him.

"I love you, Sookie Stackhouse."

Her euphoria reached a fevered peak and she hung on that precipice. The truth of his words washed over her. But, she didn't fall over the edge, instead she grabbed onto Eric and brought him with her. He groaned as he strove to join them even more tightly together. Flesh against flesh. Mind and soul. They cried out and clung together, their bodies spent. Sookie held on tightly to Eric as her body still shuddered from the overwhelming sensations that continued to ripple over them. She knew that they were as one, closer than any blood could ever join them.


End file.
